Riviera: Æsir of Deception
by Iscil
Summary: The desperate struggle for the fate of Riviera was only the beginning...
1. No rest for the just

"_What… what's happening?!"_

_Everything was on fire… he squinted his eyes and forced the air out of his lungs, the smoke leaving a tremendously bitter taste in his mouth as he searched desperately in his home for any sign of life. It was all too unreal… he simply could not bring himself to believe what was happening... it was impossible! How could the aggressive, unclean magical element of fire penetrate the holy realm of Asgard? It was unheard of! Not without any kind of warning... the guardians would never have let it happen, they just wouldn't! Sure, he had heard that the Magi had been re-enacting the ritual to summon the mighty grim angels, in fear that the release of the accursed was inevitable on the land below, but… how could the demons have penetrated so far, and in such a short amount of time?_

_Questions upon questions flooded the young angel's mind, and he couldn't help but wonder if all of Asgard was on fire, just as his home was... but there was no way he would go out and check until he was sure that his family was safe. Shaking off his thoughts for now, he dashed towards the other rooms, the violent heat making him feel as though his wings would melt right off his back. "Please, everyone… please be okay…"_

_Seconds flew, and he had already checked through every room except that of his parents, in the back. It had relieved him that he had not found anyone yet, but at the same time the fact had made him more and more anxious with each passing moment. If his family was indeed safe and sound, why hadn't they woken him up? Almost expecting the worst, his heart pounded viciously on his chest as he wasted no time heading over to the decently sized bedroom, being careful to keep away from the walls which lined a blanket of flame that threatened to swallow him whole. Skidding to a halt, he quickly glanced inside the room to find every nook and cranny of the space, filled with fire…_

_And even worse… his family… his mother… his father, his sister… they were all there._

_They were all there._

The boy woke to an abrupt start, his heart threatening to burst from its bony cage, eyes wide as saucers… a thin sheet of sweat covering his entire body. His thoughts were erratic, but even before the distraught angel had tried to gather his composure, he already knew exactly what he had envisioned, for this was the sixth time in two weeks the same vision had haunted him… and just as he had done the other four times… he cried. All of his pain, all of his misery, having spent so many days confused and alone… it still threatened to break him in two as he choked sob after sob, resuming his fetal position on the forest dirt.

It didn't matter how long he wept, or how loudly he screamed, for he had been wandering, lost in one of Riviera's deep rainforests ever since he had plummeted from the celestial world above… no-one was there to hear him… not even the woodland animals dared to go near. The poor angel was confused, truly alone… and the worst of it was, he did not know what he had done to deserve such a cruel fate. Asgard… everything looked so peaceful outside his home, when he had finally given up on trying to drag what was left of his family out of the flames, their ashes evident on his twitching, burned hands. His frantic brown eyes darted left and right, looking for anyone that would at least try and help him put out the fire, but there was no-one out that night… even the house neighboring theirs seemed oblivious to what was happening--in fact, it almost seemed as though the fire was barred from burning anything else. The boy could remember wondering to himself whether he was insane or not, smashing his hand on his neighbor's door, and then one of his wings…

The angel cringed, his eyes almost completely dried of tears as he subconsciously reached back to touch the tender part of his flesh where his left wing used to be. He truly could not explain what had happened, except that some unknown force had viciously ripped it right off of his body when he was trying to get some help… and that the shooting pain he had experienced then was next to unbearable. Unlike most of the angels, whose wings were feathered and large… his were like a pair of thick, cyan leaves, with three prominent points, like that of a trident… as far as he knew, there were no bones, but the tendon-like material was still part of his body, and he was still able to fly thanks to the unending patience of his mother. But now...

The angel closed his bloodshot eyes, trying desperately not to think of his family as he ran a pallid hand through his dark green hair in an effort to wipe away the sweat that had accumulated in his sleep. It was long, and incredibly messy… with the gravel from days of sleeping on tree roots littered on the boy's head. But he truly did not care about any of that… at least not anymore.

Although, that did not mean he was broken beyond hope. Right now, he was simply too weak… but soon, he will have regained enough strength to perform a spell that will at least allow his spirit to enter Asgard once more… he had many good friends and teachers, and perhaps, with their help, they will be able to answer why such a thing had befallen upon his family…

And maybe, even explain to him why he, Issirudor, an angel who could not even fly properly when he still had both his wings, was currently in possession of a weapon that only one from the indomitable, black-feathered celestial race could possibly use, or even touch...

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter One - "No rest for the just."**

_Eight days later, Ledah, Ein and his familiar, Rose, set foot on Riviera for the first time…and three grueling weeks after that, the Retribution, along with the corrupt Magi Hector, was stopped. Peace was finally returning to Riviera, with what was left of the demons slowly being wiped out by its new protectors… now, two months after Seth-Ra's demise, a lull in the fighting had brought the five saviors back to their home, Elendia, for some much needed rest._

_But then again, Lina's form of rest had always been a little obscure…_

"C'mon Ein! Let's go look for treasure!" The bubbly teen chirped, somehow completely unaware of the fact that the aforementioned grim angel was dead asleep… but that didn't stop her from innocently pulling and tugging his arm. Fortunately, when you've spent most of the past three days exterminating demons, you tend to sleep through anything… although, if she kept pulling his arm that way, then it was bound to wake him up sooner or later. "Don't be so lazy!"

"Now now, Lina," A soft female voice echoed from the second floor, and the girl in question looked up to see her younger—and more mature—room-mate and fellow protector, Fia, slowly treading down the stairs whilst trying her best to balance a wooden chair and a duster on her arms. For a split-second, a horrible thought passed through the short girl's mind as Fia continued to give her trademark friendly scold. "Ein's been overworking himself lately, and he really needs his sleep."

"Okay, just um… be careful going down, Fia." Lina tried her best to smile, but the look of worry on her face was clear as day, and it didn't go unnoticed. She had been trying to ignore the grim fact these past few weeks… the fact that Malice…

"Oh, not you too…" Fia sighed, knowing full well why her good friend was acting the way she was. Even she found it hard to believe sometimes… but it indeed happened. If not for Ursula, she didn't know what would have become of her. Only, everything just occurred so fast, and she couldn't really make anything of that… experience. Either way, it pained the green-haired girl terribly to know that it had affected her friends so much—especially Ein. Sometimes, she couldn't help but feel that he was the most troubled by what had happened to her in Yggdrasil, try as he might to hide the silent horror behind his deep cerulean eyes. "Ein worries enough for me already, don't you think?"

The experienced archer replied with a silent nod, a frown still unrealistically present on her usually cheerful face. Whatever ideas she had about treasure hunting seemed to have just vanished, and the little girl simply stared at Ein's gloved hand, thoughtfully fondling it in an effort to remember what exactly she wanted to do… of course, the grim angel didn't mind, sporting a silly grin as he slumbered on.

As for Fia, she had quickly snapped out of her own reverie and finally managed to reach the ground floor, wobbling slightly as she valiantly carried the weighty chair over to her intended destination—a neglected corner which had accumulated a little too much dust for comfort. There were some spots at the top which she couldn't reach by herself, and she didn't want to bother Serene with it... speaking of her bat-winged arc friend… she had been acting quite strangely ever since returning from her so-called vacation last week. When she wasn't hunting demons, the arc just spent most of her time sitting out the window of Lina's room, staring at something... in fact, she was doing it right this moment. _Mental note, talk to Serene later, and maybe stop thinking so much... well! Better get started, that dust won't shoo away itself. I wonder if this chair will hold…_

As the young girl began her quest for indomitable cleanliness, Ein's loyal familiar, a winged black cat by the name of Rose, was busy with some personal quests of her own. Her slender tail moved swiftly, wielding a fine tipped pelga feathered quill as it weaved back and forth, writing the sixtieth page of what would be her greatest gift for the sprites of Riviera; an in-depth book of their adventures starting from when she and Ein were reunited, and onward. Subconsciously, her left ear twitched as she stretched her photographic memory as far as it could possibly go…

"_Ein, look out!" I tried to scream. Even with my voice gone, he still should have heard it, as we were linked by a psychic connection of familiar and master… but if my warning had indeed reached that thick skull of his, then he made absolutely no acknowledgement that it did. Apparently, he was too busy fighting off the lizard man to realize that there was a hobgoblin which for some reason, looked almost exactly like Elendia's blacksmith sneaking up behind him, with a fearsome looking hammer in hand._

_It was then that I began scanning the area for Lina, in an effort to show her what was about to happen to Ein, but when I did see her, it turned out that she was the one that yelled for help in the first place… I assumed the lizard man had been the one chasing her._

_Fearing for my master's safety, I tried my best to run towards the midget demon, but with the distance I had to cover, it would be too late... I hadn't even managed half-way when the hobgoblin raised his hammer and brought it down with such velocity that I could hear the air being bludgeoned by the blunt weapon, and then_

"Eeep!!"

Rose was startled out of her wits, shutting her eyes as a splash of bright orange engulfed her sense of sight, the scream piercing her sensitive cat ears, followed by another yelp, and then a crashing sound behind her. No less than a second after that, she began to smell smoke, and the familiar instinctively furrowed her brow as she slowly opened her emerald eyes to see her precious pelga quill burnt to a crisp… and page sixty a pile of useless ash on the wooden table… "Rrreooow!! (Nooo!!)"

"Oh my…" A female voice whispered from beside the cat, and Rose's head immediately snapped to the source of the sound to see the scarlet witch Cierra sitting beside her, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm terribly sorry about that… I didn't know what was going to happen next in the story, and… I got caught in the moment…"

"M-meow?! Meow meow! Reow meow meow, nya! (W-what?! You were there! You set that demon on fire before it could hurt Ein for the gods' sake!)"

"I don't think I need Ein to translate that you're angry," The sometimes clumsy but ever knowledgeable Cierra muttered sheepishly, nibbling the bread she had taken from the bowl on the table before being engrossed in Rose's story—with Fia's permission of course. "it really is sort of odd for a cat to know how to write so well, seeing as how you can't really speak our language and all…"

"Reow…! (I have you to thank for that…!)" Rose huffed, leaping off the table and out of the house in a four-legged sprint. She needed to go back to the magic guild and get some more parchment… as for the quill, Soala probably had some pelga feathers stashed somewhere. But it'd be a pain to try and take it with that fairy of hers watching over the place like a hawk. _Argh, and I was really in the mood to write too…_

Cierra simply sighed, and absent-mindedly looked behind her shoulder to see a rather… interesting sight. Fia was lying right on top of Ein, and they were staring at each other with the widest pairs of eyes she had ever seen… "Uhm, did I miss something?"

"Fia fell on Ein!" Lina pointed out, looking a little startled herself. "Lina told her to be careful…"

"I… I'm sorry, Ein…" Fia stammered, somehow unable to divert her gaze away from his eyes. She recalled trying to dust the highest part of makeshift book shelf, when Cierra's scream made her lose balance, and she ended up falling right on top of the sleeping grim angel. Unfortunately, their heads collided, and it would've been a little more awkward, if not for the throbbing pain from her left brow providing a much needed, yet uncomfortable distraction.

It didn't last long, though. A powerful rush of blood immediately invaded her cheeks as Ein thoughtfully ran a hand through the side of her head, placing the stray hair back behind her ear, before feeling the large bump on her brow. For the record, the only reason Ein was not as red as a tomato was the fact that the injury, and the pained look on her face was the first thing he saw… "Ouch. Well, good morning to you too… wow, that must hurt!"

Fia couldn't help but nod dumbly, and in that precious moment, she felt like she was going to cry. Not because of the pain, but because she was just so grateful that Ein had chosen to stay, instead of return to Asgard. She didn't know what she'd do if he had chosen the latter… "I'm so sorry… I was trying to dust and I…"

"Oh, that's okay. You don't need to explain anything." Ein, who was suddenly blushing just as madly as Fia, tried to sit up. With a little pull from the green-haired girl, he eventually managed, and in seconds they were sitting next to each other, both a little dazed over the accidental collision. "My bump doesn't seem so bad… say Lina, do we have some ice around?"

Lina, who had been watching them the entire time didn't respond for a while, but jumped slightly as she realized that her name had been called. "Huh?"

"Do we still have some ice around? Fia's hurt." The girl in question glanced at Ein as he spoke, an unreadable emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Oh, we just ran out… but I can get some from Meute, she's really, really good at ice magic. Lina'll be back in a jiffy!" Without saying another word, the little girl ran out of the house and headed towards the village spring, just happy that she was able to do something for her friends today.

A good few seconds passed in thoughtful silence.

"Uhm… Fia?"

"Y-yes, Ein?" Fia replied, suddenly finding the wooden floor very interesting.

"I'm sorry about this... you wouldn't have gotten hurt if I hadn't overslept again." Ein muttered softly, staring sadly at his lap as Fia slowly turned her head towards him, her eyes wide and her lips quivering. Before he could say anything else, her arms encircled him, trapping the wingless angel in a warm, affectionate hug. "F-Fia…?"

"I won't ever leave you again, Ein… I promise."

His eyes widened, having been caught completely off-guard… it was simply unreal, how she could read him like an open book. Breathing deeply, Ein tried his best not to get emotional… but in her arms, he had never felt so vulnerable. Memories of the world tree entered his mind, and his eyes began to tear up... a nod was all he could muster, as he knew his voice would undoubtedly crack up.

Fia nodded as well, reluctantly letting him go, his unique scent always doing wonders to calm her nerves. Their eyes met… although, this time it was paired with happy, satisfied smiles.

"Awww…" Cierra grinned knowingly, resting her chin on her palm. Having only noticed her now, the two began to glow beet crimson, each taking opposite sides of the bed in record time… but that only seemed to amuse the witch even more. "you two are so cute!"

"Errr…"

"I… well…"

The scarlet witch's silly grin was much wider now, coyly watching the two struggle to find the right words to defend themselves with… it actually surprised her, how unaffected she was. Before the fateful events that transpired in Yggdrasil, she might've even felt a pang of jealousy, seeing them like this. But after witnessing Ein's reaction when the life left Fia's eyes in that one, terrifying moment, she could tell that they all held special places in his heart…

And however subtle it may have seemed, among all of them... the noble Ein adored soft-spoken Fia the most.

"Lina's back!" The proud little girl exclaimed, skipping into view with long, playful strides; landing in between Fia and Ein on the bed and thrusting both her arms in opposite directions, a cube of ice on each hand. "Meute cast a spell on me too, so it isn't cold when I hold it!"

The teenaged boy stared quizzically at the ice for a while and, after realizing that Lina wasn't going to give it to him anytime soon, reluctantly leaned forward and let his tender forehead touch the ice, much to the female archer's delight. Cierra and Fia couldn't help but giggle at the odd display, the latter following Ein's example, letting the injured area of her face rest on the ice Lina had graciously offered with a happy smile and an outstretched arm.

"Serene, are you all ri—huh…" The scarlet witch turned to look towards the window where she'd last seen her, not really surprised that the arc was no longer there. Serene had a lot on her mind lately... and if it weren't anything too serious, she would have told them about it days ago. _I've let her sulk long enough, I suppose…_

"Ha-choo!" The aforementioned arc sneezed, sniffling as she hovered aimlessly above the tranquil skies of Elendia. For the life of her, Serene had no idea why she couldn't just go up and tell them… it seemed easy enough, but she could never muster the strength to bother Ein, or any of her friends about it. It was a disturbing thought, but at the same time very personal… and she wasn't sure if burdening her friends with something as trivial as this after they had just returned from a tediously long and tiring journey was such a good idea. "Tch, it's not even that important anyway…"

"You sure?"

"Whoa!" Serene lost balance for a few seconds, almost plummeting from the sky as she quickly regained composure, turning to glare at the uninvited guest who had so rudely trespassed into her secret sanctuary. She'd suspected to see the winged sprite Rebecca, but instead locked gazes with her good friend Cierra, who was comfortably sitting on a floating broom. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I didn't mean to, sorry." The crimson-haired girl smiled with utmost sincerity, and the arc's short temper vanished in an instant, letting out a sheepish little smile of her own. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Serene looked oddly vulnerable that moment, as if she were expecting the question, but at the same time expecting something random to come up instead. "Well… I'll think about it if you let me sit on that broom of yours with you. I'm sorta tired."

"You know you don't have to ask--there's plenty of room here." Cierra patted the more spacious part of the broom on her right to emphasize her point, and Serene nodded gratefully, flapping her bat-like wings in one final, wide stroke before landing neatly on the broom. "Gateau's been filled up too, so it can stay in the air for at least a few hours."

"Gave it Rose's old name, huh?" The arc smirked, a little of her old self returning as she eyed Cierra's new flying 'pet'. The witch had fashioned it a month or two after Seth-Ra's death with the help of the magic guild's members, having studied enough of the magical properties of wyvern wings to apply it on the handy piece of wood. How it worked, Serene would never know, but having her on the sky made spotting demons so much easier, and that was more than enough an explanation for the practical arc.

"Mhm! So, what's bothering you?" Cerene asked, cutting to the chase as politely as she possibly could. "It doesn't have anything to do with Fia, does it…?"

"Well, I—what? Fia? What makes you say… oh. Yeah, I get it." Serene sighed, a sensitive looking blush making itself known on her cheeks. "Ein's… he's well… he's Ein. Who doesn't like him, you know? He's nice, funny… a little weird sometimes, but I think that's kinda cu—ah, shoot what the heck am I saying?! I'm just yammering away like an idiot… no. Ein and Fia have nothing to do with it, I'm pretty sure."

Cierra simply stared at her, dumbstruck at how much progress she'd made with just one simple question. Maybe Serene had needed this a little more than she had initially thought. "It's nice that you're letting it out, though. So, what's the problem really?"

"The problem is… well, I'm not sure if it even is a problem." Serene shook her head, staring wistfully into nothing. "It's the reason why I haven't told you guys… I left Elendia last week right? Well, I went to Rosalina."

"Really…?" Cierra whispered, genuinely surprised. From what Ein had told her, she thought that Serene was afraid of returning there, because her tribe… "To give them… a proper burial?"

"…Yeah. Took me long enough, huh?" The arc sighed once more, unable to look her friend in the eye. "Ein had actually offered to do it--can you believe that guy? I swear, Riviera needs more people like him."

The scarlet witch smiled sadly at that.

"So anyway, I finally step back into my village after so long, ready to do what I have to do." Serene let her gaze drift onto Cierra, her face a mix of wonder, and confusion. "But… the entire tribe, including my family… they were already buried."

"What?" Cierra gawked. "How can that be? Only the arcs inhabited Rosalina…"

"Yeah, exactly… there are no other tribes I know of, and I'm pretty sure no-one's entered the village since Malice came, so… it's really unsettling. What's even stranger is that it looked like they'd been buried very recently."

"Oh my, that 'is' odd… did you find any clue as to who might have done it?"

"To be honest with you, I didn't stay that long… I tried to look around but… I couldn't handle it, being back there. It was so hard, Cierra…"

"There there, Serene... that's perfectly natural. In fact, not many could have gone through half of what you had to endure." The older of the two stated softly, placing a reassuring hand on the arc's shoulder. "But, are you troubled because someone buried your tribe? Or because you thought you didn't look hard enough?

"Well, I guess it's a little bit of both." Serene nodded, now regretting the fact that she had not consulted Cierra about it ages ago. "I'm not sure if I'm going to find anything now, but I definitely would like to go back and have a better look around... it's just really hard for me to do that, you know?"

"It's okay, I understand." Cierra let out a comforting smile. "And if I accompany you, do you think you can make it?"

"I… you'd do that for me?" Serene's voice suddenly became quite tiny. "But, you've been working just as hard as Ein and… and you deserve the rest because this won't last and—"

"I'll take that as a yes." The witch interrupted with a feminine giggle, and the arc began blushing madly, a rush of color invading her cheeks once again. "So! When do you want to head out?"

"Hm… I was kinda hoping to visit before dark, so it's not as… you know. Creepy." Serene was still blushing, subconsciously scratching the side of her head. _Maybe tomorrow morning, so Cierra has some time to rest at least…_

"Oh, okay. Well then Gateau, You heard her! Let's get a move on!"

"Wait, you mean you're up for it today--whoa!" The arc gasped, clutching onto Cierra's waist as the broom began descending so fast it made her queasy.

"Sure, it's morning isn't it? Hold on tight now; to the magic circle!" The scarlet witch exclaimed, grinning a silly grin. Serene was obviously very grateful for the gesture, but it was tough to form any words in her head at that moment, what with her fearing for her life and all…

**Chapter One - Closure…**

"Oh… my."

The entire village was barren. There was no silver lining in this place… the dark, ominous mist which did more than simply hint the land's terrible secret stretched endlessly in all directions; the depressing, almost inhuman scene chilling her to the bone. It was, in every aspect, a ghost town. All things considered, she had expected it to be like this, but…

"It's pretty bad, huh…?" Now, it was the arc's turn to place a reassuring hand on her good friend's shoulder, which seemed so much colder now. "I remember the makeshift graveyard being west of here… you sure you want to do this?"

"O-of course. I said I'd accompany you didn't I?" Cierra smiled, but in fact she was beginning to feel very ashamed of herself. Serene was so strong, stronger than Cierra could ever imagine, if this was what she had to go through all alone… and her own tribe as the victims, no less. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." The two resumed walking, with Serene leading them through the pathways she had used to run along when she was a child, the memories almost tearing her steely determination apart. Inevitably, they had passed through some houses, most of which Serene had recognized… but everything was full of life back then. Now, the neglected structures looked as though they were staring stoically at her, forever condemned to be silent witnesses of this… monstrous tragedy. "A… good friend of mine used to live around here."

"Oh, I see…" The obvious hurt in Serene's voice made Cierra want to just give her a really big hug, but, now wasn't really a good time. "I'm sure they've all gone to a better place…"

The arc nodded sadly, not entirely convinced as they continued to tread along the crooked pathways of the arc village, the mist getting denser as they made their way to the edge of the ghost town. "We're almost here… it's kinda odd that there aren't any demons--"

"W-wait."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Serene turned to look at her magically inclined friend, who now looked very pale.

"I feel something… it's faint, but…" Cierra tried her best to concentrate, a cold sweat running down her forehead as she closed her eyes in an effort to calm her nerves. "I sense life. Someone's still alive here, Serene."

"What?!" The arc replied incredulously, her heart now pounding her chest twice as hard. "Do you think you can lead us to it??"

"Yes, so long as it doesn't disappear completely." Cierra, with her eyes still closed, lifted a stiff finger towards the graveyard. "I feel it coming from there. I'm afraid you'll have to guide me the rest of the way, since this energy it… it's so different. I need to concentrate."

"Okay, Cierra, just whatever you do don't lose this trail, please…" Serene whispered, gently taking the witch's hand as they walked slowly towards the direction she had pointed out, making sure that the red-haired girl didn't trip on any of the markers which had been prudently placed on each grave. A rare, almost feverish hope was beginning to grow inside Serene with each passing step, and she couldn't help but wonder if the source of the energy was a surviving arc… or maybe, it belonged to the one who had buried her friends and family... perhaps even both. "are you sure it's not a demon?"

"I can't really sense demons, so I'm pretty sure." The witch stated, trying her very best to hold on to the faint light amidst the overwhelming negative energy that surrounded them. "But that would've been really handy if I did… maybe then we wouldn't have been ambushed almost half the time…"

Amusedly, Serene recalled a certain grim angel who had more than his fair share of misfortunes when it came to being ambushed… "Yep, Ein would've probably found that handy too."

"Hah, I was thinking the same thing!" Cierra laughed, but immediately quieted down and elicited a soft gasp, her expression dead serious. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh?"

"It's starting to fade away," The witch opened her eyes, taking a deep breath in an effort to recompose herself. "but it doesn't seem like it's going to move anytime soon either... nevertheless, we should hurry."

A nod was all her anxious friend could muster as the two wasted no time breaking into a full-blown sprint, either of them possessing similar expectations, yet at the same time held different views on the matter as they neared the source of the mysterious energy.

For Cierra, it was curiosity, and the sheer improbability of it all that fueled her… whilst in Serene's case, it was a stabbing, restless guilt that would likely never leave the arc alone if their one--and perhaps only lead as to who or what could have bothered to do her tribe this enormous act of kindness, slipped away from them.

Astonishingly enough; as if on cue to their imminent confrontation, the mist was suddenly beginning to clear...

--

A/N's: And, this chapter's finished! Hopefully, I've done the right thing and ended it with a harmless little cliffhanger, so that the readers have something to look forward to in the next chapter which will of course, answer the question that's probably in your heads right now: Who the heck is Issirudor??

This story is the product of an idea that had been swimming and growing in my head ever since I'd finished the game a few months ago, and I believe that it's turned into something big, so please bear with me, at least until chapter two.

Oh, and if you're still confused about what exactly happened to Fia in Yggdrasil… I got her ending :). Hope that explains it.

Enjoyed it? Hated it? Please, send a review my way if you have the time… I would really appreciate your opinion :)!

Edit: I've fixed some things in this chapter. Firstly, I took out some of the …'s which I really spammed, heheheh. And then I corrected a typo or two :).

Happy Reading!


	2. Memories of a dream

_Issirudor…_

…

_Issirudor, you must wake._

"Ungh..." The aforementioned angel slowly opened his eyes, a flood of darkness enveloping his blurred sight in a way which made the boy feel like everything had probably been brighter when his eyelids were still closed. Instinctively, he tried to move… the result was the strangest sensation—it definitely felt like he had moved, although, he could not see or even feel anything underneath him. He was immersed in absolute, total black, with no means of movement whatsoever. And yet… he felt strangely comfortable, floating around in nothingness. Was this what it was like to die?

_Do not be afraid._

The softest, most gentle female voice he had ever heard suddenly echoed all throughout the surrounding darkness, and the boy quickly realized that he had heard it just before he had opened his eyes… if he even had eyes. Subconsciously, Issirudor tried to lift his hand in an effort touch his face, but to no avail… even closing his eyelids seemed to make no difference. Finally giving up on trying anything which involved motion for the moment, the boy decided to speak back to the voice, which for some obscure reason, Issirudor found he could do. "W-where am I?"

_You are locked away in your mind. Your spirit is grievously wounded…_

"My spirit?" Just as he had uttered those words, Issirudor's entire life began to crash down on him like a large, unforgiving boulder. His thoughts—memories both old and recent, most of which he had fought desperately to keep at bay, cruelly projecting a multitude of unwanted images in his head. He could see his home, burning… he could see himself re-enacting the ascension spell… the scared, hostile look of his best friend, and the heart-breaking revelation that not a single soul in Asgard knew of he or his family's existence.

But the images didn't stop there… the distraught angel could still see his fading spirit trying to run from his good friend, who had already taken aim with her spear; she had always been so skilled with it… her weapon hurling through the air, strong and true, imbedding itself into his back and through his chest, the instant, blinding pain… "S-stop..."

He tried to shut his eyes, but nothing stopped the memories from forcing itself inside his already disturbed mind. The images continued to tell of his limping, traumatized form, wandering around Riviera for days… weeks… the spear's hot pain ever-present, even if the wound itself could not be physically seen. And finally… his mind's eye showed the angel what he had done so many years ago, when he had stubbornly taken his teacher's spell book, and used it to transport himself down to the realm of the sprites. That was when he'd first seen her… the arc. She was being chased by something… he had never seen anyone look so tired. But the image of her face suddenly melted into the dark, terrible vision of the arc village, almost nine years later... not one survivor...

He had just finished digging the graves for them.

"Stop, please!" The emotionally scarred angel pleaded, and everything was once again pitch black.

_I am so sorry…_

"Why…" Issirudor groaned weakly, drained by the flash of painful memories which surged through the recesses of his mind yet somehow comforted by the sincerity in her voice. "Why am I here? Am I dead?"

Silence.

The tired angel sighed—or at least tried to, and a cleansing wave of relief washed over him as he became more and more convinced that he must be in fact, dead. "I'm glad. There's nothing left for me."

_No. I will not allow it._

"What? Then what am I doing here?" Issirudor replied, taken aback by the sudden change of disposition in the woman's voice. He was confused, and clearly frustrated.

_You did not deserve this... Asynjur was never meant to be your weapon._

"Asynjur," The angel repeated curiously, just before realizing what the voice had meant. It was the green misshapen diviner which had been with him ever since his descent from Asgard… he was never told of its name, but whenever he laid his eyes upon it, that particular word always seemed to be the first thing on his mind. "The diviner… how could you know that? Who are you?"

_Dearest angel, my name is Ydun._

It only took a split-second for the angel to realize who exactly he was talking to.

"The goddess of youth…!" Issirudor stifled a gasp, off-handedly realizing that he could now see his entire body and even move in any way he had wanted… but that didn't change the fact that he was floating, and everything was still an empty void around him. "My lady…"

_You need not be so formal… I am but a spirit now. My death in Ragnarok was necessary. Yours however, is not._

Issirudor's expression darkened immensely at that. "Then, why? Why was I cast away from Asgard; and my family… why were they murdered?"

_This, I cannot say for certain… only that it was a terrible, terrible misunderstanding. The magi, though very powerful beings, are still far from the standing of the gods. Their attempt to create three diviners at the cost of only one of each grim angel's priced possessions, when the gods themselves sacrificed the lives of their own kin to summon them, was very foolish. So careless was their ritual, that it had bound you, along with two other grim angels, to the spell. In the end, you received the demon-smiting tool of the dark-winged ones... and now, not a single soul in Asgard, the magi, or even the Æsir themselves know of you and your family's existence._

Solemnly, the angel found no words to express what he was feeling. He had spent far too much time in the mortal plane mourning for his loss, and his tears were dry.

_The diviner, Asynjur, was a weapon created from my own blood... therefore, I remained unaffected by the reality tearing effects which occurred when the magi had carelessly summoned it. It was I who called forth the wings of the wind with what little strength I had left, to soften your perilous fall from Asgard... my dearest Issirudor, though I have no say in what shall happen to you from now on, your noble deed in the arc village will not go unrewarded._

The boy cringed in surprise, as he could feel the stabbing pain of his friend's spear imbed itself onto his chest once more. Though the pain was next to intolerable, the weeks passed have already steeled his resolve... though in no way was he used to it. "W-what do you mean?"

_Do you not hear them?_

"What?" Issirudor strained himself in an effort to hear what it was Ydun was telling him about, shocked to find a new set of voices echoing in the dark.

"_He isn't going to make it unless we bring him back to Elendia very soon. Gateau!"_

"_Cierra…"_

"_What's wrong Serene? Do you know him?"_

"_I…"_

"What are those voices?"

_They shall do you no harm, this I promise you. But, even under the sprites' care you are still in danger._

"I'm in danger? Why?"

_The body is doomed to follow the mind Issirudor... your eyes have already faded from a vibrant brown to a dull grey. If you let yourself be consumed by your pain, then your existence will truly be lost… my dearest angel, I must warn you; conquering an affliction as distressing as yours will not be easy. Your memories may not burden you now, but that shall not be the case when you wake._

On cue with Ydun's words, Issirudor's eyelids began to feel incredibly heavy. He tried to speak, but nothing came out, his throat too dry and his body too exhausted to react to anything. Strangely, the pain that came from his spiritual 'wound' began to dull as he found himself unable to keep his eyes open.

_Be strong, dearest angel. Be strong._

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Two – "Memories of a dream."**

"Soala, I'm going to need mixed herbs. Use this."

"Y-yes Claude!" The purple-haired witch in training responded with lightning quick movement, taking the mortar and pestle from the apparatus table and snatching the aforementioned herbs from the leaf-haired sprite's open hand. Not wasting anymore time, she quickly crushed the plants on her palm before placing it on the instrument, grinding it to a useable form in record time.

"Thank you," Claude nodded, letting Soala hold the bowl as he dug his index finger into the solution. Taking a sizeable amount of the ground herbs, he cautiously placed the finger over to the unconscious boy's nose, wiping only a fraction of it on his upper lip. "In case you were wondering, the slumber ivy I added along with the herbs is to keep him comfortable. It's potent in this mix though, so don't put your face too close to the—"

A dull thud and a light snore was all the witch had managed to reply, the bowl sliding harmlessly across the floor of the study hall.

"Yes, exactly." The experienced Magic Guild leader sighed knowingly, deciding to simply let Soala rest on the floor as he continued to apply what was left of the solution he had on his finger to the sides of the green-haired boy's neck. Afterwards, he lifted his free hand just above the boy's forehead, calmly reciting a spell which granted him the ability to check the body for any internal injuries. As Claude slowly waved his hand along the still body, he was surprised to find no injuries whatsoever, other than having been severely malnourished. "Hmmm."

It was then that he had a closer look at what exactly the boy was wearing. A ragged, worn-out leather coat over what looked to be a pale cyan shirt covered his torso; actually, the texture made it seem more like a large leaf than a shirt. He was also sporting a belt, and a regular pair of blue cloth pants… nothing out of the ordinary there. Claude assumed the battered looking boots that the boy wore were also made of leather, another harmless fact.

_Everything seems to be in order,_ The man thought to himself, but there was just something about this that wasn't adding up. He could clearly sense his energy—alarmingly; it felt like the boy was fighting for his life. Of course it wasn't impossible that the reason for this was his lack of nourishment, but it was very unlikely. On the other hand, he had responded well to the potions Cierra had given him, which meant that he wouldn't remain unconscious for long.

"Soala?" Claude walked over to the slumbering witch in training and gently gave her shoulder a slight poke. She responded by pouting and shifting her position on the floor in protest, a little bit of drool leaking from the edge of her mouth. Letting out a defeated sigh, the weary guild leader effortlessly lifted his strange student from the ground, a small smile entering his lips. She was a klutz; that much was certain… but at least she was an endearing klutz. Heading towards Soala's room, Claude could only hope that one of these days, she'd start being a little more careful... if not for his sake, then hers.

He didn't notice the boy begin to groan and stir as he and Soala disappeared from sight.

"Serene, are you all right? You haven't said anything since we left Rosalina."

The arc slowly shook her head in utter confusion, her vulnerable mind too affected by the recent events to come up with a decent answer. Somehow, the mysterious young man's face was familiar. And now she found herself digging deeper and deeper into the recesses of her memory, trying her best to find a clue, anything as to why he could have possibly been familiar to her. His face was etched deep... could it be that she knew him from her childhood? That was impossible, because she had no contact outside of her tribe during that time. And he might not have been a sprite, but he was definitely not an arc. Then again, it felt like she knew him from somewhere else. Was it a lost memory? A dream…? _Oh boy._

Cierra could only watch helplessly as her good friend struggled with her subconscious. The witch might not have been very sharp, but it was already pretty obvious that Serene knew the boy who had so nobly buried her tribe... although judging by her expression; it might have been too long ago for the poor girl to remember. "Want something to eat? Banango maybe?"

"Huh?" Serene muttered, turning her gaze to look at Cierra as her train of thought was completely derailed, at least for the moment. Instantly the arc felt guilty at the sight of her concerned, almost pained expression... and as if Serene's body itself reacted to cheer Cierra up, her stomach growled in neglect. Then again, she hadn't eaten anything in over two days, so it was probably a little bit of both. "Uh…"

"Say no more," The witch smiled sympathetically, quickly standing from the stone slab the two were sitting on whilst they waited for Claude to finish his tests on the boy. It was no surprise that she was eager to leave the crystal caverns and fetch some fruit for Serene, and maybe get a little fresh air while she was at it. "I'll go pick some ripe banango for us. Oh, and do you want me to tell Ein and the others now?"

Serene looked thoughtful for a few seconds, trying to think things over. "Well… they're gonna find out eventually, but I think it's better if it came from us first."

"That's true. It's settled then! I'll be back with the others as soon as I can, okay?" Cierra said reassuringly, wasting no time as she grabbed hold of her broom, broke into a jog and departed from the caverns, leaving the arc to her contemplations.

The next few minutes that passed did so in a turtle's pace, and Serene was once again immersed in her thoughts. Unfortunately it seemed as though the harder she tried, the more confused she became. It should have been quite easy to recall such trivial matters... but due to all of the crazy and overwhelming things that have happened in the span of her lifetime, she was now having trouble separating the fantasy of dreams from the harsh fascination of reality—it was like the fine line between the two had completely eroded away.

Did she really recognize him? Or was it merely some type of psychological effect brought on by the fact that he had willingly buried her entire tribe? It wasn't too far-fetched a reason, and yet somehow, she had some trouble believing this… when she'd first laid eyes on his lifeless face in the middle of the graveyard, it was as though someone had stabbed her in the heart, yet at the same time filled a deep emptiness in her being which had long been abandoned. Never before had she felt such concern, for a total stranger. _There has to be a reason for this. There just has to be._

Inevitably, it wasn't long before fate was once again forced onto the unwilling arc's hands, this time in the form of Claude as he peered out of the door to the Magic Guild's laboratory, an alarmed look on his face.

"He's gone," The guild leader spoke frankly, suddenly realizing his mistake when he noticed Serene's face color turn into a pasty white. Shaking his head apologetically, Claude was quick to correct himself. "I mean, he escaped."

A torrent of relief covered her entire being as Serene let out a shaky breath; but the situation still wasn't any good. "How? I thought you were performing some tests on him!"

"I was," Claude replied, a little confused himself. It wasn't that long a walk to Soala's room, and as soon as he'd placed her on the bed, he immediately returned to continue his work on the boy. He was either very smart or very lucky to have acted successfully within such a small window of chance. "But I needed to take my eyes off him for a minute… he couldn't have gotten far, because the portal is through here. I think it's safe to assume that he didn't try to escape this way."

"Well duh," Serene sighed, warming up her wings by flapping them a few times. She knew that Claude would need her help if there was to be any hope in finding him. That and she would probably kill herself out of frustration if he ever managed to get out of Elendia, taking with him any hope that she would remember, or even understand why she felt this way. But before that, she would kill Claude first. "What are we waiting for; we need to find him and fast!"

Meanwhile, the mysterious angel they had intended to catch was in full sprint towards basically any direction he could manage. He was striding and jumping through marble rock, overgrown branches, and darting through the occasional resident, trying his best to ignore the throbbing pain from his chest as well as the annoying hints of cramped muscle that was beginning to strain his stomach. Yet due to his lack of nourishment, Issirudor still found himself slowing down, even more so because of the fact that he had instinctively gone north, and in an elevated town such as Elendia, that meant going uphill.

Tiredly concluding that he would eventually be caught in this pace if things continued, the angel decided to hide instead, opting to wait for his aching muscles to eventually stop complaining before attempting to run again. Quickly skidding to a halt and looking around, his eyes came across a shadowed spot underneath one of the larger, more uneven marble stones, and made haste to reach it before anyone managed to see him.

Panting quietly, he looked out from underneath the makeshift cave, triple-checking to make sure that no-one had spotted him. Having already settled comfortably in the soft dirt, Issirudor finally gave himself some time to relax, and perhaps remember the odd vision he had. He could recall lady Ydun's voice… she was telling him not to be afraid. Right now, he wasn't sure if he even was afraid, but he wasn't about to take any chances either. She also knew about Asynjur… the name of a weapon he was never supposed to have. And then finally, the startling truth which crushed his already destroyed spirit—that not a single soul in this universe apart from lady Ydun knew he existed. Even before then, it was already a menacing theory that he'd wrestled with over the course of several weeks… but before today, he still didn't know if it was true, or if it was even possible. Now he knew, and the angel truly didn't know what to feel.

He couldn't even take solace in the fact that it wasn't his fault. No matter how many days had turned into weeks, and the weeks into months… it simply wasn't comforting in the slightest. His family, the people he loved the most were gone, and his best friend, the closest and most trusted companion he had was now the sole reason for his physical torment. All for a weapon he did not even want. He should have been angry… he should have been vengeful. But he wasn't.

He was just sad.

_AAARGH!_

Suddenly, a scream of frustration pierced through his current thoughts; causing the angel to jump and almost smash his head on one of the sharper rocks in fright. His full attention now concentrated on the source of the noise, he managed to make out what seemed to be the vague sound of flapping wings, followed by a dull thud right above where he was. Unable to help himself, Issirrudor slowly crawled out of his hiding place and stood ever so slightly, just enough to see who, or what it was.

_What? But I thought… _Even the angel's mind was silenced as he could only stare in genuine awe and surprise… his gaze was rested upon a sight he had never expected to see again—an arc. She was kneeling on the ground, shoulders slumped… it looked like she was about to cry. Strangely enough, the intense pain on his chest began to subside as his vivid memory brought him back to nine years ago…

_Impossible, it can't be her..._ Unable to help himself, Issirrudor climbed the marble, quietly approaching the distraught girl. He had only taken a few steps forward when she must have picked up the sound of his boots, because the arc's head instantly shot up to face him. And in that one fleeting moment, the angel found himself looking at the little girl from so many years ago, tired and scared. Without saying a word, the female arc stood up and wiped her eyes, for some reason looking just as surprised as he was. Could lady Ydun have been wrong? Did she recognize him, or was he just clinging onto false hope, forcing himself to believe something that was just as likely to be wrong?

_No, it couldn't be._ Issurudor thought sadly, readying himself to dismiss the thought altogether. It was just too big a coincidence that the person in front of him, possibly the last of her kind, could also have been the same one from his past. But even as he was mustering enough strength to convince himself of that fact, he couldn't help but take notice of her expression as the arc slowly looked away, the uncertainty evident on her face… in that instant his mind's eye gave way to a mental picture of the young girl from his past mimicking the exact same gesture after the two had landed safely in Rosalina—allowing the demoralized angel to cling onto what little hope he had left.

It was perhaps then, that the situation became clearer. It may have been false hope, and all things considered, she might not have been the little girl from so long ago… but his broken spirit wanted, _needed_ to believe that his existence meant something to her.

Being an angel, the concept of being wanted or loved was something he had probably taken for granted… in Asgard there were almost no strangers, with each angel being able to familiarize with the other mostly due to the constant social interaction. In fact, even after everything that had happened, he could still remember the names and faces of his brethren... yet in this case, it just made his situation harder to endure.

More seconds passed in awkward silence, and though Issirudor no longer wished to remain quiet, he found himself at a loss for words. This would be the first time he would interact with anyone since the bizarre incident several weeks ago, and he couldn't find his voice. Fortunately, the dilemma was short-lived. His heart yearned to say something to the arc, and before he knew it, the angel spoke without thinking.

"I'm sorry," His voice was so soft and worn it was almost a whisper. Nevertheless, the female arc heard it word for word and was now staring intently at his eyes, as though she was searching for something. "Your tribe… I'm so sorry."

**Chapter Two - Closure…**

Fate was playing the strangest, most confusing tricks on her this day. He should have been long gone; she flew over every possible path he could have taken and there had been no sign of him anywhere. A paralyzing jolt of helplessness and fear had seized her, and it seemed like her questions would never be answered… but then, in the height of her despair, there he was. And now…

Serene couldn't believe it. She was receiving an apology from the person responsible for burying her tribe, a gruesome task that she herself should have already done long ago. He looked so heart-broken and tired, his hair and clothes covered with dirt… it was a sight that nothing could have prepared her for. To make matters even more unbearable, she was now utterly convinced that she had seen him before… but the memories that should've come to her by now felt blocked; like a blissful dream that slipped away with the night.

Feeling very much like a vulnerable child, Serene tried her best to stop any tears from falling as she uttered the only words that made sense to her then.

"Don't go."

It was a simple request… something she just blurted out of desperation… but the effect was more than she could've ever wished for. His tired eyes widened, as though he had just realized something, and the way he looked at her… the kindness etched on his face, it reminded her so much of Ein. Or perhaps, it was Ein's expression that reminded her of this very person? A crazy thought, considering the fact that she had first seen the boy this morning… didn't she? It was like looking for a star amongst countless others, there simply was no way she could point it out; but it was there nonetheless.

For what seemed like an eternity the two stared into each other's eyes, both looking for something they knew was there, yet neither able to fully acknowledge it. Strangely enough, Serene was content in simply staring like this… truth be told she felt like an idiot; but she didn't feel restless or uncomfortable at all.

In fact she was beginning to get adjusted to just looking at him (it seemed to calm her down) when his sudden change of expression made her more than a little curious. He looked unsure now, but there was a hint of determination as his eyes gazed kindly on hers. Before Serene could delve on it any further her sharp sense of sight picked up movement from the boy's odd looking shirt… to her utter surprise it was slowly separating from his body!

A visible look of pain flashed through his face before the leaf-like cloth completely came off, coming to rest behind him for a split second before spreading out to his right side almost instantly.

"W-what…" _It's his… wing…_ To say that Serene had been shocked was an understatement… that weird looking shirt, it was his wing! But it was unlike anything she'd ever seen—the look, even the texture was that of a leaf… which begged the question, what was he really? He was far too big to be a fairy, so was he a sprite? New questions formed inside Serene's already confused mind… but it was then that realization kicked in. This boy… she had definitely seen him before! It was like an important piece to a puzzle that was slowly forming in her head… but there were still too many other pieces that were missing. At the very least, it wasn't such a big mess anymore. She was convinced that she'd seen him in her youth; she could feel it in her bones… but even so, she wouldn't have cared this much, even if he _was_ a childhood friend… so why was he so important? "You… I know you…"

No sooner than she'd said those words did the boy's silver eyes start to water, his hand quickly shooting up to wipe them. A grateful smile formed on his lips, and pretty soon Serene—though surprised at his initial reaction—was smiling as well. She may not have completely recognized him, but for some reason, she no longer felt empty… and for the first time in a long time, she was truly at ease.

Although, before the boy could have said anything in reply a powerful gust of wind took the angel completely by surprise, lifting him off his feet and throwing him a few yards away; causing his body to violently bounce off one of Elendia's gigantic branches.

Stifling a gasp the arc quickly spun around to find a seemingly crazed pelga with glowing yellow eyes, on the verge of sinking its talons deep into her flesh—with a desperate flap of her wings Serene attempted to dodge the giant bird's razor sharp claws, cringing as she soon realized that it just wasn't fast enough. She could feel blood trickling down her leg, and the stinging pain that inevitably accompanied her newly opened wound as she landed on the ground and the feathered predator set its piercing eyes on its prey once again. _Pelgas aren't this fast…!_

A terrifying chill ran through Serene's spine as the bird charged her again, cursing her own stupidity for leaving her scythe in the Magic Guild whilst rummaging her pockets for anything that could help her survive this battle. But before she could even take her hands out the pelga was already in front of her, looking as though it would stab the arc and the marble ground along with her if it had to. Using her wings once again Serene leapt backwards… this time, the bird had missed her entirely, its iron hard beak smashing the rock where she'd formerly stood.

_Pelgas aren't this strong either! _Sighing inwardly, the arc successfully took out an old tarot card Claude had enchanted; she supposed it wasn't very hard to do for someone capable of magic because the cards themselves were already magical to begin with. Shaking away those thoughts for later, she thrust the aforementioned item forward and concentrated on its symbol, which was the devil. Almost instantly her hand became rigid as the card vanished into thin air and icicles began shooting out from in front of her to stab the crazed pelga… normally, that alone should have already done the job. Unfortunately for Serene, the bird's unusual speed saved it from its demise as it nimbly flew to the right; though not without consequence... a few of the larger icicles had at least managed to stick onto its left wing.

"Jeez!" Serene muttered, slowly hissing out an anxious breath she didn't know she was holding. Just like in most of her battles, she instinctively calmed down at the sight of an injured opponent. Unfortunately, her relief was short-lived—the pelga, without even flinching gnawed at and spit the large icicles out and onto the ground, the small trails of blood seemingly camouflaged by the crimson color of its feathers. It was then that she realized how tired she was from the journey to Rosalina—she could barely move her body now… and the fact that she had not yet eaten also took pot shots at her resolve. Before the arc knew it she was already on her knees, having virtually no chance of defeating the bird of prey. _I can't believe this is how it's going to end…_

The pelga let out a primal scream that echoed throughout Elendia, dashing madly toward the weary arc, and all Serene could do in defense was close her eyes and hope for a quick death…

The collision came sooner than Serene had expected… she heard the slicing, sickening connection of flesh and blade, and the arc braced herself as best she could… but for some reason, the pain never came. A few more seconds passed, with nothing happening or at least, nothing she could hear or feel. Still quite frightened, Serene slowly opened her eyes to find a sight she'd never have expected in a million years.

There he was, the stranger from her past with his single wing and dirty clothes… and in his hands a dazzling green blade that had been wholly plunged deep into the forehead of the vicious bird.

_Is that… a diviner?!_

----

A/N: And that chapter's done as well… there was a huuuge delay because of other projects, college, and things beyond my control, but even if it took so long at least I finally managed to get to writing this thing. Please remember that this is still just mainly a hobby for me so I have a tendency to put it off… hah, I guess that isn't much of an excuse ^^. Though it's not like anyone missed anything—I promise I'll write faster if anyone asks me to xD. But even so, I have a feeling I'm going to be working on this again very soon, so you can all expect Chapter 3 soon! :)

Edit: It's not Sierra, it's Serene… oh my god, sorry xD. My mind wasn't very clear when I was writing that… Sierra's a different character in one of my other stories…

As always, cliffhangers are afoot!

Happy Reading!


	3. Dreams of a memory

The great bird thrashed and shuddered violently, its nervous system severed by the pale green blade that was still plunged into its skull, sending a desperate echo of movement throughout the pelga's body before finally allowing it to drop lifelessly to the ground. The angel's eyes widened at the ghastly sight, as though woken from some sort of trance… for some reason he couldn't remember how exactly he had gotten himself into this position, only that he had regained consciousness to see the furious bird about to deal a fatal blow to the young arc. It was as if the divine weapon itself had possessed him to take action.

Instinctively the boy attempted to pull the blade from its current position, and it slowly slid out of the dead bird's head—finding himself looking away as he did so. The thought alone was overwhelming, and the sight threatened to make him sick to his stomach. He was not a grim angel; the act of taking any kind of life was strictly forbidden to his kind. In his heart of hearts, he knew he had done the right thing… yet even so, he couldn't possibly feel any farther away from his home in the skies.

One thing was for certain however, and that this wasn't any ordinary pelga… the way it acted; it had clearly been driven insane with bloodlust. Being an angel, he was far more sensitive to a living being's spirit than those who tread in Riviera, and there was truly something wrong with what he'd felt moments before the creature perished… it was changed somehow, deformed beyond what he could possibly imagine. But who could have done such a terrible deed, and more importantly, how? Such matters should already be presented to Asgard's council chambers; however, the terrible pain that plagued his chest was a sad testament to the fact that returning was no longer an option. With his strange wings, it was no surprise they had thought he was a demon. Not only that, but the diviner was a weapon which possessed both holy and unholy properties in order to combat evil, so even the purity of his own soul was in question and therefore, barred from the gates of Asgard.

Having almost completely lost himself in thought (again), the angel blinked and shook his head, not allowing his mind to question the matter any further, one of the reasons being that this wasn't a very good time to space out. Sighing tiredly, he used his gloved fingers to comb his unruly green hair as he turned around to look back at the arc—still on her knees, simply staring at him in silent awe. The look she was giving him, it was as if he had gone back through time, it was just too uncanny to be false hope… there was no doubt about it, she was indeed that girl. Even though the fact that she found him familiar seemed to contradict with lady Ydun's words, the joy he'd felt in his heart reminded him of the reward she had told him about. Perhaps the arc truly did forget, she was simply starting to remember again… and whether or not this was the goddess of youth's doing, he was more than grateful for it either way.

But his expression shifted vividly to that of concern when he noticed the blood dripping from her right thigh to the marble rock.

Serene couldn't help but look on in wonder as the mysterious boy dropped his weapon and proceeded to kneel down in front of her, his eyes seemingly glued to her leg… speaking of which, she'd almost forgotten about that! A stinging sensation began to throb from the affected area as her senses started to kick in once again… but that seemed to dull away as fast as it appeared when she realized what the boy was going to do, a small blush creeping up on her cheeks as she curiously watched him work on her leg. With a gentle touch the arc rarely saw in any male, he began to use his leaf-like wing to wipe away the blood… all things considered she should have said something to stop him, but her throat was so tight she could barely breathe, much less say anything.

Yet even with his cautious touch, he still came across a particularly sensitive spot on her wound and Serene winced, causing him to look up into her deep blue eyes once more, an apologetic expression on his face. Needless to say Serene's blush deepened, and she had to break eye contact lest she embarrass herself… the boy on the other hand simply smiled sheepishly and returned to cleaning her wound, sporting a light blush himself.

"It's not too deep," The angel said, his voice clearly battered and worn, no heavier than a whisper. It definitely wasn't deep enough to be anything too serious, but the four clean cuts were deep enough to keep drawing blood… without a moment's hesitation he removed the dirt-ridden glove from his left hand, and rested his exposed palm on her thigh.

Serene's eyes widened as a warm tingling sensation began to emanate from her injury. After a few seconds she also realized that she could no longer feel any kind of pain from her wound, like it had just disappeared. Confused, she looked back at the boy to find that his eyes were closed, a look of concentration etched on his face.

He promptly opened them seconds later, pulling away his left hand and letting out a shaky breath as he studied the result. At the very least, the wounds were disinfected and closed… had he still possessed most of his divine powers, uniform to the angels in Asgard, he would have been able to eliminate the rawness and even the scarring of the wound. A sad frown came upon his lips at the thought of no longer being a pure soul, and his chest throbbed harder as if mocking his disposition. In fact he would never admit it to himself, but his descent to a harsh, unforgiving reality from his loving family and ever peaceful Asgard had deformed his soul as well, just like that poor pelga.

But whenever he laid his eyes on the arc, who was currently staring wide eyed at her half-healed injury… he still couldn't help but feel a great pity for her, despite his own problems. After all, her family had been taken away from her as well, the light of the entire arc tribe burned out in an instant. They were in the same boat… only her soul felt so warm with a golden luminescence; the angel knew all too well that he would never be able to compare to such strength, such will. And yet for some strange reason, that fact seemed to sooth his broken spirit. "I uh, don't think I've introduced myself… my name's Issirudor."

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Three – "Dreams of a memory."**

_Issirudor huh…_ Serene thought, looking back at the weapon that he'd dropped earlier, only to find that it wasn't there anymore. Ein's weapon seemed to disappear from time to time as well, only forming in his hands whenever the situation called for it. The diviner—a grim angel's weapon, forged from the blood of the gods, with the sole purpose of destroying the Accursed… though in Ein's case it was given to him in exchange for his wings. At least that's what he had told her. It wasn't like him to lie, so she was certain that his words were true. Only, was this boy a grim angel? He certainly didn't look like one. Sighing inwardly, Serene realized that trying to distract herself with afterthoughts still wasn't taking the stupid blush away… "T-thanks for all your help Issirudor; the name's Serene by the way."

The boy smiled happily at that. He hasn't had a decent conversation in ages—he was infinitely glad that the awkwardness was beginning to fade away. He was also ecstatic to finally know the name of the arc from his past. Issirudor only wished that they had met during happier times… then again; they may never have been able to meet under normal circumstances, so there was at least some form of silver lining to this situation. "I see… that's a very beautiful name."

"Ah… well uh, yours isn't so bad yourself!" Serene laughed oddly, the annoying blush which was already starting to disappear seemingly back in full force, and she instinctively lifted her hand to scratch the back of her head as a sheepish smile formed on her lips. For the life of her she didn't know why she couldn't control herself, it was just a compliment after all… maybe she was just tired. Yeah, that was it. In any case, it was still awfully sweet of him. _Yeah that's right, make a complete fool out of yourself in front of this guy Serene; get a grip why don't you!_

"Thanks, I appreciate the lie," Issirudor couldn't help but chuckle, managing to ignore the pain on his chest, at least for the moment. Even in Asgard his name was considered unusual, at best. But he stopped his train of thought right there… he knew that this kind of thinking would lead straight to his parents, and that would effectively ruin his mood and ultimately, ruin the conversation. Even the slightest hint or thought of his family was more than enough to send him to a downward spiral, which was why if he intended to live on, he needed to regain his strength. "To be honest, I'm not even sure if it means anything. You can call me Izzy for short, so it's not too much of a hassle for you."

"Oh okay, Izzy it is then." Serene smiled, her expression becoming a little more serious. She had been meaning to ask him this, though it seemed to be pretty obvious to the both of them now—actually the arc felt incredible shame at the fact that she had even forgotten that fateful event at all. Needless to say, she still needed to hear it from him; she needed to be absolutely certain. "I have a question… when that, that _thing_ was chasing me all those years ago… were you the one who flew me back to Rosalina?"

"Ah, so you do remember…" Issirudor's voice trailed off, being able to recall the moment as though it was only yesterday. He was a bit mischievous in his youth, and had done a lot of fooling around during those times… though none were more etched into his mind than the day he'd taken his teacher's spell book and chanted the incantation which transported him to the realm of the sprites. He was only supposed to explore just a little bit before the spell's effects wore off, but by the mechanisms of destiny he came across a young, exhausted arc, running for her life from what looked to be a huge boar. He was scared at first, and dared not intervene, but his nature soon got the better of him and when he saw her jump off the edge of the island in one last act of desperation… he found himself leaping off the edge himself, using the leaf wings he was born with as best as he possibly could in an attempt to catch her… he eventually got a hold of the arc—her entire body frozen stiff with fear—after which he attempted the suicidal plan of flying them both back to Rosalina… until now he still had no idea how he managed to do such a thing, considering the fact that he could barely fly even after the years of training that would come to pass. Thankfully the spell's duration was long enough to last the struggle, although it would only be several seconds after they successfully landed safely on Rosalina before Issirudor's body was enveloped in a bright light, and he found himself in Asgard once again. Just enough for the two to get a good look at each other… the effect it had on him was such that he had never forgotten her face. Inwardly, he hoped that she felt the same way… after what had happened to him recently however; it didn't come as a surprise if she didn't remember. What truly shocked him was the fact that she did. "I was really hoping you would… yeah, that was me. Talk about close calls huh?"

"You said it!" Serene grinned blissfully, all of the awkwardness absolutely gone, just like that. Suddenly she felt like she could tell him anything, an indescribable happiness filling her whole being. The empty feeling had disappeared as well… the nerve-wracking puzzle was complete. It still really bothered the arc that she'd forgotten, but she supposed it was normal, considering what she had been through. "Thinking back to it, jumping off Rosalina to get away from that thing was probably the single, most stupidest thing I could've ever done. So that's twice you've saved me now… make that three times, counting what you did for my tribe."

"…I can't say that what I did for your tribe was a pleasant experience, but it was the least I could do," The angel said frankly as he looked away, a sad expression on his face. In fact the experience was anything but pleasant… he had become somewhat attached to little Serene after their fateful encounter, and throughout the years he was always wondering at one point or another if she was doing all right. When he had fallen from Asgard the second time, his instinct brought his battered body to Rosalina, hoping that the sight of their busy village would warm his heart. What he had seen when he set foot in the village, instead shattered it into a million pieces. "I'd gone there hoping to see you and your tribe, still doing okay, and I… well… digging their graves just wasn't a great feeling…"

Serene found herself at a loss for words, suddenly regretting ever bringing the subject up. She could literally feel how deeply etched into the boy's silver eyes the pain was, and though it also reminded the arc of her own terrible loss, the way it affected him… he must have thought that she had died as well. Truth be told it made her feel very special. To think that an outsider would care so much for her… it was simply unheard of. And now, she wanted nothing more than to give him a reassuring hug—which was exactly what she had done. Swallowing her fears and embarrassment the arc opened her arms and, leaning forwards, enveloped the vulnerable boy in a warm, tight embrace. "I'm sorry, Izzy… if I'd only buried them sooner, you wouldn't have had to go through a horrible thing like that."

"Serene…" Issirudor stifled a gasp, taken aback by the arc's sudden act of affection. Unable to stop himself from thinking of the past, he remembered how good he felt whenever his mother took him in her arms. Soon afterward, the boy reluctantly hugged back as his senses were, albeit overwhelmed. The arc's skin was soft, and her scent was subtly sweet and intoxicating… had he not been mourning his family's untimely demise his tendency to be hopelessly shy might have gotten the better of him and the angel probably would have began shaking involuntarily. Instead he just seemed to melt in her arms, absolutely exhausted both physically and mentally. "You don't have anything to be sorry about, really… I'm the one who should be sorry."

The arc closed her tired eyes and held him tighter, as she found herself in desperate need of the hug as well. What a hectic and emotional tornado of a day this has been… she most certainly didn't wake up this morning expecting all of this to happen. Taking a deep whiff of the boy, a little smile played on Serene's lips. He had the strangest odor—it was the kind of aroma you would more expect to catch near a waterfall, or by a creek in a pine forest. But then again, he was covered nearly head to toe by random gravel and dirt, so that could've attributed to the scent… nevertheless; she found it very relaxing, a state of mind she really, really needed at the moment. "Then, I'm sorry for the both of us."

Issirudor could only nod in agreement, having managed to completely and utterly ignore the pain on his chest—a first in his book—and actually feel genuine relief in the gentle arms of his most unexpected friend. It made him want to cry… in fact he would have, had he not wept himself dry of tears already. Somehow, even after everything he'd been through, he still wasn't sure if this act of kindness was something he deserved. Those thoughts seemed to speak volumes on the simple strength of his nature, something his mind had subconsciously shielded from the pain of heartbreak and the tragedy of loss. No longer anxious of the future, he took another breath of her wonderfully addicting scent, and let out an equally exhausted sigh. "Yup, me too."

As the two extracted some much needed comfort from each other, neither had realized the venomous purple mist seeping out from the stiffened beak of the dead pelga, which then remained suspended in the air above the corpse for a few fleeting seconds before returning to its source; a hunched shadow whose dark presence was scattered malevolently, bathing everything around it in darkness which in turn, further hid the obscure apparition from clear sight. There was no telling how long it had been standing there, the only thing certain being it was clearly the reason for the pelga's mysterious malformation. It had no distinguishable features, but it appeared to take great interest in the angel and the arc, and it continued to watch the two silently… though it would only do so for a few more seconds, before slowly fading into the strange penumbra it seemed to exude so naturally.

_Angel, why doest thou bleed?_

_What?_ Issirudor involuntarily broke the embrace in shock and looked behind him; staring straight into the direction where the voice seemed to make itself heard—coincidentally enough it was also the direction where the mysterious shadow had formerly stood. But there was presently nothing there, except for the oversized branches and roots. Whatever the voice was, it certainly chose the worst possible time to mess with his head.

"What's up? Anything wrong?"

"Oh no, nothing," Issirudor muttered as he looked back and shook his head, smiling apologetically. For a split second he wondered if he was going mad… considering the present circumstances that may not be too far off a theory. But all those thoughts jumped straight out the window when he came to realize that both his hands had found themselves holding onto Serene's shapely hips… though he was too preoccupied by his own brazen action to realize that the arc's arms where almost entirely circled around his shoulders, something she too seemed to realize just now. That and their faces were much too close… _Urk!_

In an instant the two stood and separated, stepping (jumping) at least three feet away from each other, their cheeks red as ripe beets. The sweeping emotion had managed to spare them the embarrassment when they were still locked in that friendly embrace… well; at least it seemed to at first. When they regained their senses, things weren't nearly so simple.

Serene could feel her heart pounding furiously in her chest, but she couldn't seem to look anywhere else. What made matters worse was that he didn't look away either… the two just stared, the warm rush of blood that colored her face almost reaching her neck. He made her feel… weird. Actually, this situation that was all too familiar; if she wasn't mistaken, Ein made her feel the same way at a certain point (totally different from the time when she hit him for it, the jerk). But all things considered, it really wasn't the exact same feeling—this one was just far too strange. Steeling her shaky resolve, Serene let out an embarrassed sigh, a sheepish expression on her still beet red face. "Hah, kinda awkward…"

"Y-yeah," The angel sported the same embarrassed look, amused at how things managed to turn out. It was a good thing that she was just as hesitant as he was… otherwise he really wouldn't have known how to deal with the situation. He was normally quite shy, and chary to a fault. But that was how Issirudor was raised… he'd always been more than a little strange, mostly because of his odd wings. And unlike most circumstances and trivialities in Asgard, the angels' views of him were mixed. Some, including his family thought that his birth was a sign of the Æsir's returning strength… others had taken it as a bad omen of sorts, which spelled the gods' inability to return to Asgard. Either way, he had spent most of his young life on his lonesome, passing the time by reading books or studying divine magic. But that didn't mean he wasn't accepted by the entire community—in fact he had a handful of great friends, all of which were very close to him. He just wasn't the type to socialize too much, and that was what ultimately caused his terrible shyness. Sighing, the angel decided to steal a glance at the dead pelga in a desperate attempt to erase the blush, as well as the dumbstruck expression on his face… though the latter just became even more obvious afterward. "Huh? That's odd."

"What?" Serene asked, inwardly thanking the boy for giving them a reason to be distracted… if things had dragged on, she wasn't sure what could have happened. Still, he was onto something; when she laid eyes on the aforementioned corpse, it definitely looked different somehow. Walking closer to the bird, the arc placed her hands on her thighs and leaned forward, inspecting it a little more. It looked… normal. In fact now that she thought about it, the pelga looked like it had shrunk a few inches since she'd last seen it. "Weird… is this the same bird from earlier?"

"Well, it has the same wounds, so it must be the pelga… right?" Issirudor couldn't help but ask, a little unsure himself. If this was indeed the same bird then there was only one true explanation for this, and that was demonic possession. Judging from the look on Serene's face, she was thinking the exact same thing. By now it should be safe to assume that they had already encountered demons from the so-called Accursed. Whilst he was still in Asgard he had also come across rumors of the great 'Retribution'… however; the angel's council vehemently denied its use. He remembered the magi, particularly the one called Hector, at odds with the council then. Though he wasn't sure how things had turned out, Riviera's situation seemed to be relatively peaceful these days. "The thing that attacked us before wasn't natural, that's for sure. Is it normal for demons to attack this close to the village?"

"Nope, this is the first time… okay now I'm worried—I need to go tell the old man and the others about this," Serene said resolutely, her sights set to the homely abode of Elendia's village chief. But just as the arc was readying her wings to take her to the center of the peaceful village, she suddenly remembered one particular detail that put all her current thoughts on hiatus. Looking back at Issirudor with a slight blush and anxiously biting her lips, she couldn't help but seem vulnerable as she saw the much younger boy from her past, disappearing into thin air before she could say anything. "Izzy… do ya really have to go? I mean, I dunno where you go home to, and it's probably a great place and all but it'd be nice if you could, you know… stay in Elendia for a while."

The question took the angel by surprise, mostly because he'd forgotten that he was trying to get away from Elendia when he saw Serene. That and his true home was no longer accessible… possibly for good. His chest pains seemed to dull away again as her innocent invitation made him feel happy inside, making him smile brightly in reply, his silver eyes clearly reflecting how much the arc's words meant to him. Inwardly, he thanked the goddess of youth once again. "No… I don't think I have to go anymore. In fact, I think I just found my new home."

"Really…? You're serious?" The arc's expression alone was more than enough to let the boy know that she was happy… in fact she was beyond happy. Making no attempt to hide her obvious delight, Serene almost leapt in the air as she celebrated the strange—yet mirthful—occasion. "That's awesome! Welcome to the club Izzy, I'm sure the village chief would be happy to have ya. I also have a ton of questions I wanna ask, so this'll be great!"

"To be honest, I have a lot of questions myself," Issirudor nodded, his mood being the brightest it had ever been since the incident. The way Serene reacted made him feel very wanted… it was an incredible feeling, and though he still felt broken, it did so much to comfort him. Returning to the subject at hand, the boy wondered if she knew about what had happened to the Accursed in Riviera. His instincts were telling him that the arc had more to do with Riviera's fate than he had initially thought… but perhaps he should ask another time, it wasn't very prudent to do so now. "Are we going to see the chief of the village Serene?"

"Yup," The arc said happily, readying her wings for flight, and once again a single detail stopped Serene in her tracks. Issirudor's single wing had already latched itself onto his torso, and she suddenly found it very difficult to say. "I uh, hope you don't mind me asking, but… can you still fly?"

"No, sorry…" The angel said frankly, not really minding his inability to take to the skies. During his youth he'd always been jealous of all the other angels and how flying came so naturally to them… but now, he didn't mind it too much if at all. The only thing that bothered him was the loss of his other wing, and this clearly wasn't the case. "Even when I still had both my wings, staying in the air was difficult, at best."

"Oh I see," Serene nodded, letting her wings fold and rest behind her. Now she knew what Issirudor meant when he was talking about close calls earlier… but that fact just seemed to cement her growing admiration for the green-haired boy. Quickly treading past him, the arc looked behind but kept walking, her trademark smirk present. "Let's get a move on then, we've got a pretty long walk ahead of us."

"Right!" Issirudor heaved, stepping to a jog until he was beside Serene, after which he began walking at her pace. Home… the thought seemed so far away, yet it felt like that was where he was heading. The angel would probably never be able to stop himself from longing for his family and his life in Asgard, but with everything that had happened; his options were already exhausted to the point where he would simply have to live with it. Whether or not a new opportunity arises would be up to fate to decide. Subconsciously, the boy lifted his hand and rested it on his ailing chest, where the intense pain just seemed to come and go. But it was far better than the months passed, wherein the pain would become so unbearable that he could barely walk. All in all, things were finally looking up for him.

"Oh, I have to ask Cierra to make that Paella dish of hers, you'll love her for it… wait, on second thought, maybe that isn't such a good idea."

"What was that?"

"Nothin'… come on slowpoke, last one there's a rotten pelga egg!"

**Chapter Three – Closure…**

"Is the tea to your liking, Elder?"

"Excellent as always, Ladie," The old man in question slowly put down the steaming cup on the wooden table, the specially mixed quality herbs doing wonders for his immediate health. He had this same cup of tea yesterday, and the day before that, as well as the week before that, and so on… there had never been an instance where his trusted guardian's tea had even been below satisfactory. And even if it did, the Elder truly didn't have the heart to say anything of it. "Come, you made enough tea for the both of us… sit, sit."

"But I… y-yes, Elder," Ladie replied albeit uncomfortably, not very accustomed to this kind of treatment. Though that didn't mean Elder Graham was a terrible person—quite the contrary actually—she just really didn't think that she deserved it. Forcing herself to relax, the winged sprite cautiously took the seat across the kindly old man, and to her utter surprise he had already taken the kettle and was gently pouring the hot tea onto her cup, much to Ladie's visible discomfort. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it…" The Elder smiled, once again lifting the cup to sip his tea, the warmth of the beverage spreading throughout his system. His ever-observing eyes were glued to the red-haired sprite at the moment, trying to hide his amusement as she struggled to decide on whether or not she should drink as soon as he had poured the tea. Ladie really was far too humble for her own good… she was not a servant, and though she was most definitely aware of that, he supposed she just couldn't help herself around him. Truth be told it made Graham feel uncomfortable at times, as he rarely if ever saw himself as a prominent figure of authority in Elendia. Eventually she gave up and placed her prized spear on the ground before taking the cup with both hands. Lifting it to her mouth, the Elder watched eagerly as Ladie tasted her own concoction… her reaction was priceless. By this time Graham had thought it safe to assume that she had not even tried the tea she was so famous for. "You see? Excellent as always."

She could only nod in reply, taking in the sweet and soulful aroma of the tea as she drank a little more than she had initially intended to. Ladie may not have known it, but the sight warmed the old man's heart. Afraid that she would finish it off in one gulp, the sprite placed the cup back on the table and smiled gratefully at the Elder, who of course smiled back. After several seconds of silence, she leaned to her side and took the spear, readying herself to stand. "Elder, thank you again… I should get back to my duties."

"Oh, won't you sit for a while longer? At the very least, until you've finished your tea," The old man shifted his position on the chair slightly to get a little more comfortable, his expression clearly urging Ladie to relax. Obviously, this was not an easy feat for his guardian, who had spent most of her life either fidgety, or alert. Granted this wasn't the first time he'd asked her to relax—and probably not the last—getting her to become completely laid back was a far-off dream that was likely never to happen. Nonetheless, he was determined to let her rest whenever possible. "I would enjoy your company very much."

"Of course Elder, it would be an honor…" Ladie returned her spear to the ground, ashamed of herself for trying to leave so quickly. She didn't mean to seem rude… she just wasn't comfortable in these kinds of situations. But who could blame her; she was sharing tea with the greatest sage in Elendia, possibly all of Riviera… true, she may have been his guardian for a long time, but that still didn't take away the fact that she was with a person whom she respected deeply as well as looked up to. Once again breathing in the scent of the hot drink, she couldn't help but take another sip as she made a mental note to make some for herself when she had the time.

"Much appreciated, Ladie, you make this old man happy." The Elder said gratefully, earning a flattered blush from his guardian. Though the town as well as Riviera itself seemed to be enjoying a relative peace, for the past few days Graham had been feeling quite uneasy… and he felt exactly the same for days until they'd lost contact with Rosalina months ago. Something dark and ominous was in the air; he could feel it in his old bones. Aside from that, there was also another strange feeling which was looming in the wind. It was far more imminent, but seemed much less dangerous—either way, there was still a sense of urgency. Curiously enough, what felt like the center of it all seemed to be heading this way. "Hm, there's quite a commotion going on outside."

"A commotion?" Ladie asked, without a single doubt in her mind that what he'd said was false. True enough, to her it felt like any other day in Elendia; the birds were chirping, there was no screaming or yelling to be heard, neither was there the sound of explosions coming from the magic guild (there used to be, but Soala's so much better now), so all things considered, it was indeed a normal day. But the Elder has never been wrong. "Would you like me to go and attend to the matter?"

"That's quite all right," Graham replied calmly, his brow furrowed in silent thought. There was something clearly wrong, that much was certain… but not at the moment. Years of experience had taught him that there was a time and place for everything, no matter how dire the situation may be. Besides, he wanted the sprite across him to drink her tea and take it easy. Nothing short of another Ragnarok will make him change his mind. "The matter will be brought to us soon enough."

The Elder's prediction proved to be correct once again when a more than familiar voice boomed from outside his living quarters only seconds later.

"Hey old man!!! Are you in there?"

Ladie twitched.

-----

A/N: All right, I'm on a roll. I'm gonna get to work on Chapter four right away :). Izzy's introductions with the characters are almost finished… after which the problems are reaaally gonna pile up. Who was that dark figure? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter which will be coming soon.

Random Trivia: The reason why Serene seemed to remember Issirudor was because he had a profound effect on her during her childhood days, which seemed to preserve the memory even though all traces of his existence were wiped off the face of Asgard and Riviera. Oh, and Ydun might have lent a hand here and there :P…

Also, there were no angels during the Æsir's rule; they appeared shortly after the grim angels did as a byproduct of the gods' sacrifice. Completely pure and free of darkness, they are the main inhabitants of Asgard and have white wings. They also have the ability to heal and support each other with many spells of divine property, however, this greatly depends on the purity of the soul, and Issirudor's soul is tainted by the diviner's unholy properties… therefore, he is unable to perform most of them.

Happy Reading!


	4. Calm before the storm

"Excuse me NoNo… did Fia and Lina happen to pass through here by any chance?"

"You lost them again? You're hopeless Ein!" The little blonde fairy laughed, more than a little amused at the hapless grim angel who could only stare at the ground in embarrassment. No wonder Lina loved to play hide and seek with him so much, it was so easy to win, having Ein as a seeker was almost cheating. She probably would have been a little more lenient with him had the boy been new to Elendia… but more than two months have already come and gone, he should be aware of every possible path by now! "You seriously need to pay more attention when following those two—and if you can't do that then you could've told them to wait or something."

"I did… and Lina scolded me for lagging behind," Ein sighed, scratching the side of his head in frustration. It didn't help his situation much when the fairy just laughed again, flying erratically for a split second before returning to her original position in the air. But even for all of his bad luck, the dark-haired boy couldn't bring himself to be the slightest bit cranky. Granted, it was usually something he'd done or failed to notice that was the subject of scrutiny… "After that, they circled the back of Kyle and Mylene's house… when I got there they were pretty much gone. So, did you happen to see them?"

"Sorry Ein, wish I could help you, but I haven't seen them yet today," NoNo said truthfully, a thoughtful expression on her face. She considered flying to a more reasonable height and trying to spot them from above Elendia, but judging from what Ein had told her, they'd probably be around the denser part of the forest in the edge of town by now, and it'd just be a waste of time because it could barely be seen from this side no matter how high she flew. But that in itself was good enough advice for Ein, she supposed. "But if they'd gone behind Kyle's house, then that means they're heading out to the forest north of here… there are a couple of paths to get there, but you might as well wait for them at home since they'd already taken the fastest route. You won't be able to catch them, not to mention you might get lost…"

"Ugh," The grim angel sighed again, his shoulders sinking dejectedly. If there was one thing he truly hated, it was being lost. Throughout most of his stay their primary source of travel was the magic circle, so it wasn't necessarily his fault that he had no idea which path lead where in the outskirts of Elendia. Whether or not he wanted to catch up with those two, the fairy's point still stood… unfortunately, that didn't change the fact that Lina was going to scold him again for not coming with them. What's worse was he couldn't blame the two for rushing either; from what Cierra had told them, it was more or less an emergency. "I… suppose you're right. They left me stuck here worrying about them though."

"Why worry, what's happened anyway?" The little fairy asked, her curious nature getting the better of her. In fact she found herself wondering why she hadn't asked that question in the first place. She usually made it a point to make every little thing in Elendia her business to know… it was a tricky (nosey) line of work, but someone had to do it! "Is it serious?"

"I'm not sure… see, it all started with Cierra," Ein began, trying his best to relay the day's events without being too confusing, even though he himself was slightly confused already. It all seemed to revolve around a green-haired boy who had accomplished the grim task of burying Serene's tribe, but that was all he understood about it so far. "She told us about how she and Serene had gone to Rosalina this morning, and that they found an unconscious boy… supposedly he was responsible for burying the arc tribe. She also said that the two were currently in the magic guild, so she brought us there only to have Claude tell us that the boy escaped and Serene had gone off to look for him… before I even finished talking to Claude the three were already out the door with Cierra using her broom to cover more ground. I tried to follow Fia and Lina but they were too far off and well, you know the rest… did that all make sense?"

"Sorta… so, in a nutshell, you lost Fia and Lina again."

"…" Third sigh.

"Oh, don't gimme that look I was just kidding!" NoNo giggled, flying over to the visibly distraught boy and sitting cross-legged on his left shoulder. Though she loved to tease him, it was all for fun… truth be told, she adored every little thing about the wingless grim angel. Ever since he first met and saved her in Heaven's Gate, she just found it incredibly hard to find any flaw in the guy, despite his numerous blunders when it came to reacting to the feelings of certain ladies, not to mention the bathing incident… simply put, Ein could do no wrong in her eyes. "But if that really is the case… maybe you should head over to the Elder's house. Chances are if they do find this boy then they'll probably be going there, right? I mean, he could be just scared or something, considering what he did for Serene's tribe he's bound to be a good person…"

"Hmmm, that's right…" Ein nodded, putting two and two together in his head. He knew enough about Elendia to be aware that the nearest settlement was at least a three day's trek on foot, so the boy really wasn't going anywhere… they'd also found him in Rosalina, so chances were he knew very little of this town, which explained—at least to a certain extent—why he would run. In a way he could relate to how the boy must have felt… after all, it wasn't so long ago when he himself had woken in the care of Fia and Lina. He could only hope that the boy wasn't suffering some form of amnesia, because that would really freak him out. "The magic circle would be his only way home, so that means he'd need the Elder's permission. Thanks NoNo!"

"Aw, well don't mention it Ein, I'm always happy to help!" The fairy nodded, smiling brightly. It was always a pleasure to put her knowledge of the ins and outs of Elendia to good use, even more so if it meant helping her savior… that being said, it didn't take a genius to realize that the encounter brightened her spirits. Lightly patting the grim angel's shoulder, she spread her wings and took flight again, her sensitive nose picking up an all-too-familiar scent. "Smells like it's gonna rain soon… we should get going or you might catch a cold."

"You're coming with me?"

"Yep… besides, somebody's gotta make sure that you don't get lost."

"NoNo…"

"I'm kidding!"

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Four – "Calm before the storm."**

"And that's how it happened… so, what do you think we should do?" Serene finished, leaving out a few details from the story, such as Issirudor's significance to her past, not to mention the embrace the two had shared… it wasn't like anyone really needed to know that. With Issirudor's permission, she had also told the Elder about the weapon that materialized in his hands, the pale green blade that had killed the pelga. She wasn't sure if it was a diviner, nor did she ask during the long walk to the Elder's house, but she had a feeling the truth was going to come out sooner rather than later. "We should visit the nearby towns and make sure everyone is all right."

"Hmmm, this is strange indeed," Graham nodded, still holding his now empty cup of tea on his hands, an unreadable expression on his face. To think, a possessed animal with considerable power, appearing so close to Elendia… the thought was more than unsettling. It could mean that the barrier spell he had used to protect this town so many years ago was beginning to fade… or perhaps the demon's strength was such that it overpowered the barrier? Without the barrier, creatures of all kinds would enter Elendia unchallenged, though there was a chance that there would be no stronger beings in its ranks… however, if the barrier was still there, then it meant a demon of great strength had broken through the barrier, but at the very least it was still protected against the weaker fiends… also, given the circumstances there may be more than one who wielded such power. Graham found himself wishing the former was the case… "No, the settlements will have to make due without us for the time being… I cannot compromise the safety of Elendia by sending you or the others out on a journey to the neighboring towns."

"But…!" The arc muttered, quickly getting a hold of herself before she lost her temper because she knew very well that the Elder had a point. That pelga alone was highly dangerous, even if she had her scythe there was no telling what could have happened… and to make the matter worse it was only a pawn. The real enemy was out there somewhere, she could feel it. Thinking about it now, the Elder couldn't risk separating their strength by sending some of them out to the towns, because sure, Elendia would have protection, but that just might not be enough. And if ever one of them did find trouble, would their strength alone be sufficient? Too many consequences played into any action they dared to take now. "Fair enough, I guess… so what, we just sit tight and wait to see what happens?"

"The Elder has seen it fit that the Elendians' defenses alone will not be enough against what might be coming… I respect his decision," Ladie nodded, already mentally prepared for what lied ahead. It was her duty to protect Elendia, and she would see to it that so long as she drew breath, her beloved town would be safe—her spear would make doubly sure of that.

"Issirudor…" The Elder said kindly, turning to look at the green-haired boy who had so far remained silent throughout the conversation. Just like when he had first seen Ein, he could feel a strange aura emanating from him… but instead of sensing confusion, Graham instead sensed a great deal of pain. For some reason it felt veiled, as though he was trying his very best to hide it from plain sight. His eyes were very strange as well… whatever he was, he definitely was not a sprite. "This green blade Serene spoke of… would you mind if I saw it?"

"N-no, not at all," Issirudor replied, a little intimidated by the air of respect the Elder seemed to command so naturally. Obediently placing both his arms in front of him palms upward, the boy closed his eyes and concentrated… in a split second, the luminescent blade throbbed into existence, laying to rest on his hands for all to see. It seemed to have the same odd qualities as Ein's weapon, the Enherjar… aside from its strange shape and color; the two were practically one and the same. Needless to say, both Ladie and the Elder were surprised to see it. "It's called Asynjur…" _I think._

"Careful not to touch it though… I kinda learned that the hard way from Ein," Serene warned, subconsciously stroking the fingers of her left hand. He seriously should have told her not to touch Einherjar, the jerk… after the incident; Ein apologized and told her that only grim angels were allowed to wield a diviner. To anybody else it was like touching a scalding hot iron that would gradually get even hotter the longer the person held it. Thankfully she only touched it for a split second, her arm quickly recoiling at the slightest hint of pain. "I had a blister on every finger for days!"

_Ein… is here?_ Issirudor found himself looking at Serene, a surprised expression on his face. Ein was the name of one of the grim angels who was appointed the task of dealing with the awakened Accursed… but, that was all he knew. The angels denied Retribution, yet the seven magi still had the last word. He had fallen so unceremoniously from Asgard before any news about the council's decision had reached their ears… back then, his mind had been too battered to care about what had happened, but now that he was finally able to compose himself and gather his bearings, it piqued his interest once more. Riviera was occupied by the sprites; the Æsir would never have allowed Retribution's activation given the circumstances. The continent was still here wasn't it? It couldn't have happened… he needed to know more, but he was unsure of how to ask.

"My boy…" The Elder continued, his gaze returning to Issirudor after several seconds of studying the unique weapon. There was no mistaking its unusual properties; it was truly the brother of Ein's destructive weapon. Just like what Serene had said, anybody else with the exception of the grim angels would be unable to touch the weapon, much less wield it. So, if that were the case… how was it that he possessed such a remarkable item? There were too many questions that, if left unanswered, could threaten the very fate of Elendia. Perhaps even Riviera. "Are you a grim angel?"

"I…" Issirudor found himself unable to look the Elder in the eye as he asked him the fateful question. He knew this was coming… diviners were supposed to be one of Asgard's secrets, but with Ein in Elendia as well as everything that had happened, nothing could be helped. He could feel the winged sprite's eyes on him as well, even Serene… the answer was simple enough, but he found it very difficult to say. Soon, this train of thought would inevitably lead to a very unpleasant memory, and would trigger certain emotions he would rather keep locked away. "No, I'm not a grim angel, Elder. But…"

The Elder simply nodded, urging the boy to go on. Serene however was beginning to feel uncomfortable, the look on Issirudor's face clearly showing that he didn't wish to keep talking. Ladie surprisingly felt the same way… but she knew that this was necessary, in fact all of them did.

"I did come from Asgard… to be specific, I'm an angel," The boy explained, getting a relatively shocked reaction from all three of them. But they already suspected that he was a grim angel because of the diviner, being an angel instead really wasn't all that different. Well, technically the differences were numerous, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to delve into the details concerning his race. Perhaps the sprites weren't even aware of their existence… it was highly possible, because even in Asgard's libraries very few books mentioned the angels. Given the current situation, he owed them an explanation at the very least. "The first of my kind were also created following the sacrifice of the gods; however, being thrust in the middle of Ragnarok without a moment's notice, many of their souls were stripped of their purity when fear took over… they became twisted and fought alongside the demons… in the end the grim angels as well as those angels who remained righteous had no choice but to banish them."

"No wonder… the Accursed in Tetyth…" Serene muttered, more to herself than anybody else. It had told them about how it was banished from Asgard… it also mistook Ein to be an exiled angel as well. Even after its defeat, she'd always wondered why it looked so different compared to Ein as well as the other grim angels. Things were so much clearer… in fact now that she knew where Issirudor truly came from, the arc was able to make a couple of intelligent guesses regarding how and why he had disappeared all those years ago. She was meaning to ask him anyway, but this would have to do until she found a more appropriate time. Getting back to the topic at hand, even though this new information had shed some light on certain things, it only seemed to raise new questions in the process. And she didn't need to be a psychic to know that the Elder was more than aware of that fact.

"I understand… but if you are not like Ein, then why do you have this weapon?" Graham asked as politely as he possibly could, knowing that the pain he had initially sensed was closely tied to this particular subject. Unfortunately, he needed to know as much as he could about this boy… the old man could tell that his words have been genuine so far, and it didn't seem like he was going to lie anytime soon, but he had to take precautions nonetheless. The demon's possession may have had something to do with this angel, and the diviner just seemed to reinforce his doubts. "He had sacrificed his wings for his diviner… what did you sacrifice?"

"Sacrifice… I…" His invisible chest wound was now throbbing with each heartbeat and the pain boomed like thunder in his head… Issirudor couldn't help but cringe, clutching his ailing torso in vain. He tried to find the right words to say, but no matter how hard he struggled they just never came. Instead he could see his younger sister playing on the grass, a blissful smile on her face… she was a beautiful sight to behold. Her wings had just started growing, the creamy white feathers reminding him of his mother. She wasn't too far from his sister, smiling at him, her infinitely patient eyes gazing lovingly… and beside her, his father. Strong and proud, he stood with his feet firmly set on the ground, while his powerful wings majestically touched the sky. But the scene seemed to drift away with every second… and that was when he smelled it; fire, threatening to consume his mind's eye. "I never wanted this…"

The Elder could only watch in sadness as the angel remained deathly silent and still for the next several seconds, the slight drizzle outside turning into a full-blown shower as though warning Graham that he was already overstepping his boundaries. In fact, he had done it on purpose, just to see how far Issirudor was willing to go. There was still a possibility of deceit—there always was—but pursuing it now would be counter-productive… the boy had been quite cooperative so far, more so than he had expected, but he knew all too well that this was a question Issirudor would not voluntarily answer. He was not an immediate threat to Elendia, and that was enough… at least, for now. "Forgive me… you do not need to answer that question. But please understand that the fate of this peaceful town, as well as Riviera itself rests in our hands… I cannot afford to take chances."

The angel nodded slowly, his expression a grim mix of confusion and pain. He truly didn't want to say anything more than that, all of his memories already threatening to split him in two… so there was some relief to the fact that he was finished answering questions. He tried not to make eye contact with any of them—especially Serene—afraid that they would see right through him; that they would find out more than he wanted anyone to know. He didn't even have a plan… how could he possibly let anyone else know about his dilemma if he himself had no clue as to what exactly he should be doing? It seemed that the only rational thing he could do now was to wait for lady Ydun to speak to him again… ironically, that didn't seem rational at all. The vision might have simply meant that he was going mad. _This is exactly why I don't like to think about it._

Before anyone else could say anything, a familiar face peeked in from the rain, soaking wet and sporting a sheepish, polite expression which had become something of a trademark. "Uh, can we come in?"

"Ein, Hurry up and get in here before you catch a cold," Serene shook her head, smirking. She could always count on him to break the tension… even though he would often break it using his own awkward tension. He would unwittingly become the center of the conversation every single time, and though she sympathized with him when it came to that particular detail, it didn't stop her from taking advantage of the situation… like say, slipping out of the scene unnoticed, or maybe even helping a confused angel out of the limelight. "Who else is with you?"

"NoNo's here with me," The grim angel replied, stepping inside the Elder's living quarters and bowing slightly in acknowledgement to the kindly old man, who nodded in return. The fairy was right, Serene was indeed here… along with the green-haired boy Cierra was talking about. Suddenly, Ein felt very strange as his eyes rested on the aforementioned boy for a moment before his eyes darted towards his clothes. "Hey, it's safe to come out now."

"Okay!" The fairy responded, quickly flying out from inside Ein's robe and once again coming to rest on his shoulder. She didn't hate the rain, but there was no way she'd be able to fly in this weather. It may not seem like much to the sprites, but being hit by the falling droplets wasn't exactly just a ticklish sensation to them, so they needed to be extra careful and find shelter before the rain became hard enough to pummel them. "Is this the boy you were talking about Ein? He looks weird."

Issirudor looked oddly at the blonde fairy—who made a funny face at him in return—before mimicking Ein and making a polite bow of his own. He knew that face well. They had met a few times in Asgard, in fact he was one of the few descendants of the black-winged race who had been amiable enough to talk to him, though he never managed to catch his name. Actually, Issirudor had been very anxious to meet him in fear that things would once again be misunderstood… so he was glad that it turned out to be this particular grim angel. They weren't great friends before his fall, but at least now Issirudor knew that even if he had a diviner of his own, the grim angel wouldn't jump to any conclusions and would probably hear him out. "Hello, my name is Issirudor."

"Oh, hello…" Ein smiled sheepishly, caught off-guard by the sudden formality. Once again NoNo was right; there was something strange about this boy. He seemed familiar, and he could clearly feel a sizeable amount of divine energy emanating from his direction. Subconsciously Ein found his gaze slowly heading towards the source, and his eyes widened in surprise as he came to realize what exactly Issirudor was holding. There was absolutely no way… how could he be wielding a diviner? Was he a grim angel as well? No that was impossible; he knew all of the living grim angels by heart… but only his kin were allowed to even hold the sacred weapons! Instinctively his own diviner, Einherjar, appeared on his right hand and he promptly pointed it towards Issirudor's misshapen weapon… no sooner than that did the two diviners begin to pulsate with energy, a clear sign that what the boy was holding was the real thing. "It's… really a diviner. How can that be?"

"You mean you do not recognize him Master Ein?" Ladie crossed her arms, allowing herself to be skeptical. He had the benefit of the doubt because of the way she had treated Ein last time, but if he didn't recognize the boy, who was to say that what he was telling the truth? Still, he was wielding something very similar to Ein's weapon… so it was still far too early to make any accusations. Unless Master Ein himself said that he was an impostor, then she would not raise her spear against him. "He claims he is an angel from Asgard. Is this really true?"

Serene stared at Ladie in surprise, then found herself looking at Ein pleadingly. The arc didn't know why, but she knew he was telling the truth… he just had to be! He told them about how all of the angels came to exist didn't he? What more did they want?

"I… I'm sorry, I don't know," Ein shook his head, still in a state of confusion after seeing the green diviner. He was an angel? It seemed highly unlikely… there were far too many angels in Asgard to count, so it didn't really matter that he couldn't recognize him… but even if he was an angel, they were forbidden to touch the sacred diviners because their souls were far too pure. Looking at him now, his soul wasn't pure—if it even ever was. But one thing was for certain, what Issirudor was holding was truly a diviner, there was no denying it… so what did that make him? All things considered, the fact that he was an angel may have been unlikely; but for him to be anything else was even more ridiculous, so… "But… I think I believe him."

Both Issirudor and Serene let out a breath of relief at that, with the former's weapon once again disappearing without a trace.

"I understand… but perhaps, you would be so kind as to show something else besides the diviner as solid proof?" Ladie said resolutely, earning an indignant glare from the arc. Master Ein may believe him, but the fact that he wasn't entirely sure was more than enough for the red-haired sprite to ask for just a little more proof. It wasn't that she disliked the angel, she was simply looking out for Elendia's best interests. She wasn't about to sacrifice her village's safety because of something as trivial as this. True, Ein may not have had to offer any more proof than that when he first entered Elendia, but he had never given her a reason to doubt him… however, in this case, instead of the diviner solidifying Issirudor's claim, it just seemed to confuse things even more. "I apologize, but this is all for the safety of Elendia."

"Now look here—"

"It's okay, Serene…" Issirudor interrupted the arc, smiling politely. He had half-expected things to come to this… but there was still something he hadn't shown them. And now that Ein was here, he was sure that the grim angel would recognize what he was about to do. He was just glad that they didn't ask for more proof when Ein wasn't around, otherwise, he'd be sweating bullets about now. Actually… he probably should still be doing so, with the purity of his soul in question, he wasn't sure if he could even accomplish what he was about to do. Stepping closer to Serene, the angel's smile became softer as his eyes rested on the silver pendant which was hanging from her neck. "ÞæiR eRu báðiR hlænkR."

"What are you… huh?" The arc gawked in wonder as her pendant started to glow a very faint yellow, her words dying in her throat. Everyone else in the room could only stare as the silver stone floated and shuddered… suddenly, small runic inscriptions flared to life on the surface of the pendant just moments before the grand light left the stone and the symbols disappeared as quickly as it had come. A few seconds passed in utter silence and Serene sighed, suddenly feeling very relaxed. For some reason she felt very secure, protected by some kind of invisible force… she looked back at Issirudor, who was still smiling, and her heart involuntarily skipped a beat. "My pendant… what did you do?"

"The Elder Futhark, you used it for… the reginkunnr." Ein gasped, familiar with the runic inscription that appeared on the rock. So Serene's pendant was actually a rune stone from Asgard… he would never have been able to guess that in a million years. Grim angels weren't able to learn it because they lacked the wisdom of the gods; but they possessed godly strength in the form of the diviner… he had always been jealous of the more academic angels, and though he had learned much concerning the symbols used in magic, he was never able to perform it himself. With that being said, Ein had also noticed that when Issirudor brought the stone to life, it wasn't nearly as powerful as what most angels were able to do in Asgard… maybe it had to do with the purity of his soul? "'They are both linked'. Was that the phrase you used to wake the stone?"

"Yes… actually I'm surprised you know," Issirudor replied thoughtfully. There were very few grim angels who bothered with the language of the Æsir, especially since it was of no use to them. The path they tread and the energies they manipulated were very different from that of the angels, so this was definitely a surprise. Acknowledging Ein's unique skill with a nod, Issirudor looked at the grim angel with a newfound respect. "It's a runic inscription of the barrier spell. I made it from the moon stones on the shores of Asgard almost a decade ago."

"But, how can that be? Mom gave me this pendant, she even wrote my name on it…" Serene said it more to herself than anybody, instinctively clutching the precious stone. It was no longer glowing, but the pendant felt very warm, the protective energies that surrounded the stone making her feel light-hearted and a little drowsy. Suddenly, the memory came to her as the pendant rested on her hands, a deep sense of awareness in her eyes. "I was… holding this when mom found me…"

Issirudor nodded, still a little shocked himself. To be honest, he had forgotten about the rune stone he had given her, and he only recognized it during their trip back to Elendia. Her mother must have designed a pendant out of it—gods rest her soul. He could only hope that the barrier was still powerful enough to aid her with whatever she wished to accomplish. Not being able to bring out its true potential once again gnawed at the back of his mind, his chest throbbing painfully in consequence. "It's not much, but it will help…"

"Izzy, I…"

"Wait a minute, if you made that rune stone a long time ago, then that means you two know each other," Ein said, his weapon also fading away into nothing. He wasn't the smartest person in the world, but it didn't take a genius to figure that out… what it all meant however, that was a different story. If the two knew each other then they would have had to meet first… but how? Angels and grim angels alike weren't allowed to enter Riviera unless absolutely necessary, and besides, Issirudor would've been far too young at that time. At least, if he was as old as Ein thought—the angel looked about the same age as he did. "So that would mean… wait… how did you even get down here? My head… okay forget trying to make sense of it, you two know each other from way back, that's all I know."

NoNo smiled at the confused grim angel, tempted to start teasing him again… but she decided against it, since she knew too little about angels or arcs to make any assumptions. Yes, she was confused as well.

"A-ahem… in any case, I need to make some announcements." The Elder said as gently as he could, though his words would never stop commanding respect and attention. He had also given up trying to understand Issirudor, as well as the relationship he had with Serene… there was only so much an old man could take after all. Perhaps in the near future, if given the chance then he would probably ask again… but since there was undeniable proof that he was indeed an angel, then that would most definitely do for today. "Ladie, I need you to gather the townspeople later this afternoon…"

"Of course, Elder."

"And Ein, would you happen to know where Cierra, Lina and my grand-daughter are?"

"I can't say for sure, we were all looking for Serene," Ein replied, unable to help but worry. Wherever they were, he hoped that they'd come home soon. The rain was finally starting to wane, but it was still pretty strong, and he wanted nothing more than to go out and look for them… but if they came back and he was still out there, then the situation would just turn into a very annoying and vicious cycle of search and rescue. "They'll be back soon I hope."

"Woops… I guess I'll have to apologize to them later," The arc muttered to herself, also fighting off the urge to search for her friends. "This'll at least give Izzy some time to make himself comfortable—not to mention _clean_. I guess even angels need baths too eh? Come on, I'll take you to the springs."

"O-oh, right…"

**Chapter Four – Closure…**

"Aaa… ha-choo!"

"Lina, are you okay? Here, you and Fia sit a little closer," Cierra said, shifting her position a little more to the left so that they would all fit more comfortably. Closing her eyes and concentrating, the ruby lodged on the top of her staff started to glow, a steady amount of warmth emanating from the spherical gem. Cierra had spotted the two huddling in a small cave around the northern forests in the outskirts of Elendia… truth be told the rain had become too strong to fly with Gateau, so she had also been looking for shelter. It was a strange coincidence, but she was glad that they saw each other; at least now she could keep them warm. "I wonder how Serene's doing…?"

"I'm sure Serene is all right…" Fia said reassuringly, though her words were also meant to encourage her as much as it did the scarlet witch. Sighing, the green-haired girl placed an arm around Lina in an effort to keep her warm and leaned towards the staff, grateful for the much needed heat. They were all soaking wet, but Lina was cold to the bone. However, Serene wasn't the only one she was worried about… they had been in such a hurry to look for the arc that Ein had fallen behind. This wasn't the first time, but that didn't stop her from wondering whether he was okay or not. "It's Ein I'm worried about."

"Ein's a dummy, but he's probably oka—ha-choo!" The smallest of the three let out another loud sneeze, instinctively leaning on Fia some more, sniffling helplessly. If she hadn't tripped and landed on that puddle, she wouldn't be in this situation… but no matter how hard she tried the childish girl just couldn't bring herself to be more cautious. Cautious wasn't fun at all. She'd been scolded enough to be more careful when they were fighting demons, she wanted to have more fun now that the Accursed were finally all gone. Wiping her nose on the wet cloth that covered her forearm, Lina shivered and brought her hands closer to the ruby. Getting a cold was no fun either… "Lina wants to go home…"

"Don't worry; I'll bring us home with Gateau when the rain subsides." Cierra nodded, her eyes still closed as she began channeling more of her energy to her staff, the ruby glowing even hotter. It wasn't easy to control fire, so she really needed to keep her mind from straying too far… unfortunately she had a history for being too easily distracted, which made focalizing that much more difficult. Nevertheless, she valiantly pushed all other thoughts aside, her whole mind shut out from the outside world in order to completely center on keeping them all warm. "…"

"That seems to be the best course of action now," Fia sighed softly, greatly appreciating the extra rise in temperature. Continuing the search would only serve to worsen their conditions… besides for all they knew, Serene could already be back in Elendia, probably with that boy Cierra was talking about. Looking outside the small cave, it seemed as though the rain was getting weaker and weaker. Pretty soon they'd be able to finally get back home. "It looks like it will stop raining soon…"

The green-haired girl let her mind wander for another minute as she continued to stare outside, before she was brought back to reality by a sudden poke, courtesy of Lina.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Cierra's face is turning blue!" Lina said quickly, pointing at the scarlet witch; whose face was indeed getting bluish. Not knowing what to do, she stared worriedly at Fia, her eyes starting to tear up as she waited impatiently for the solution. She could shoot demons and the Accursed with her bow anytime without being the least bit afraid, but this was out of the question!

"C-Cierra? Are you okay? Cierra!" Fia yelled, but to no avail, she was still stiff as a statue. Her eyes were shut tight, and she looked like she was struggling with something… from the looks of it, she was definitely holding her breath. But since her face was already turning blue, Fia quickly took hold of both Cierra's shoulders and gave her a firm shake, causing the witch to drop her staff. In that instant her eyes shot open and she gasped for air, causing both Fia and Lina to sigh in relief. "Oh thank goodness… are you all right?"

"Lina was scared!"

"Oh, my… I must've forgotten to breathe, hah…" Cierra smiled sheepishly, earning blank stares from her two companions. Embarrassingly, this wasn't the first time this had happened. Whenever she concentrated too hard on anything, certain things stop crossing her mind… unfortunately, that included breathing. Speaking of which, what was she concentrating on again? Oh, she was trying to keep them warm. She had never been one to brag, but the witch took pride in knowing she was better than most wizards when it came to controlling fire. It was a tricky business after all, and any mistake would definitely lead to some kind of scary consequence. _Wait a second…_

Realization kicking in, Cierra's eyes darted over to her staff on the ground, which was glowing much brighter than when she had last seen it… "Everyone, I think we need to get out of the cave now…"

"Huh? What do you mean—"

Birds that had been peacefully nesting on the tree tops suddenly fled from the general direction of the cave, the booming sound of an explosion being more than enough to terrify the feathered animals. Several seconds passed in silence as a thin layer of smoke slowly exited the small cavern.

"Cierra, what just happened…"

"Oh my… it stopped raining…"

"L-Lina's not cold anymore…"

-----

A/N: I apologize for not writing about the hunched figure like I promised in the third chapter… but don't worry, chapter five is when the plot officially starts moving, and the figure is finally introduced. I'm gonna take a bit of a break (a few days), before I start working on five, I hope nobody minds. Please send a review my way when you can.

Martin III: Thank you for the reviews, and for helping me correct those embarrassing mistakes (waist, and Sierra xD)… as always, I truly appreciate your taking the time to read my work, it means a lot. Issirudor's problem is odd isn't it? In a way, I wanted it to be very confusing so that the solution isn't very clear (even to myself) xD… but don't worry, I have a lot planned. Things are going to take a strange and dangerous twist… the only clue I can give is that it has something to do with the major arcana of the tarot card deck :). I can only hope that you bear with my mistakes and continue reading xD.

Extra note: The Old Norse sentence I used literally translates to 'They are both link', I'm not entirely sure if the word automatically becomes past participle, so correct me if I'm wrong. If Cyrillic is the language of the Accursed (Ein read a Cyrillic passage which awakened one of the Accursed in the game), then the gods in my story used Old Norse (which they really did in the myths). Also, the Elder Futhark is the oldest form of the runic alphabet, and reginkunnr means 'runes'.

Happy Reading!


	5. Special Chapter

"Ein? Are you awake…?"

"Yeah."

Fia saw the grim angel raise his hand in the dark, her eyes having long adjusted to the late hour. It was already nearing midnight yet she couldn't seem to get even a wink of sleep, and from what she could tell, Ein was having the same problem. But then again, who could sleep after what the Elder had said? As if to prove her thoughts wrong, a light snore made itself known from Lina's room on the second floor, and Fia shook her head, unable to help but smile. That girl could sleep through anything. "Can't sleep?"

"…Yeah," Ein replied, shifting his position so that he was looking directly at the green-haired girl as she rested on her own bed across the room—she'd also been on her side, looking at him. Off-handedly, the audible creaks that whined out from underneath his mattress as he moved was a constant reminder that he needed to do a better job with his bed—especially since he had just recently built it. Throwing the thought out of the window for the moment, Ein caught a glimpse of her emerald eyes shining from the dim light of the moon amidst the darkness, and he sighed instinctively, the events of the day repeating itself, particularly what had happened when everyone was finally gathered for the meeting sometime that afternoon, as well as the announcement itself.

"_Hey, Issirudor," Ein called the angel through the crowd that had gathered in the middle of the town for the announcement. He looked so much cleaner than when Ein had first seen him. When he had entered the Elder's quarters earlier that day, the boy was dirt-ridden, his clothes were muddy and ragged, and his hair was so long it reached his waist. Now, he was clean and very presentable, with the holes on his leather coat sown and patched up; although the grim angel didn't expect him to have cut his hair as well. "the springs are great aren't they? You're looking pretty good, short hair suits you."_

"_Oh… thank you," Issirudor nodded uncomfortably, obviously not used to the kind words of a compliment. But he had to agree, the springs were indeed great—his tired, aching muscles were able to loosen up because of the therapeutic effects of the hot water, and he was finally able to relax after what felt like an eternity of wandering Riviera in a stupor. Cierra had even taken the liberty of patching up his clothing… the sprites were all much too kind. In fact he was now convinced that Elendia would he his new home and that he would protect Serene, as well as all the other inhabitants with his life. "Actually, a sprite with fur and claws cut my hair, telling me that from behind, I look too much like this girl called Fia and that it was confusing…"_

"_Ah, you met Mursya… I see what she means about that," Ein laughed, causing the angel to smile sheepishly in return. It looked like Issirudor was getting along just fine with the Elendians. He wasn't really too worried to begin with, but whenever he looked at those silver eyes, he felt like there was something off about the angel. In a way it reminded him of Serene—she also held the same look when they had rescued her from Malice… she tried her best to hide it, but it was like her soul was trapped inside her eyes. She had managed to get over her terrible grief eventually, letting go of her pain and anger… and now with the burial of her tribe, it seemed as though she had finally reached some sort of closure. "I'll introduce you to Fia and Lina when I get the chance… they may not look it, but with their help along with Serene and Cierra, we sealed the Accursed and stopped Retribution."_

_Issirudor's eyes widened as he stifled a gasp, what Ein said taking him completely by surprise. To think that the Accursed were felled by five people… and Retribution was stopped? He had a feeling that Ein and Serene had a hand in saving Riviera, but he never expected the Retribution to have passed the council's judgment. Still, the final word was up to the magi; perhaps Hector had finally convinced his peers. Though for a grim angel to defy the magi and Asgard to save Riviera, it was unheard of! And not just that, stopping Retribution would have taken far more than simply defeating the Accursed… "…What about Hector?"_

"_He was behind everything… It was my duty as a grim angel to punish him—but I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the sprites. It was a miracle that we got out of it alive actually… still, there were some sacrifices…" The grim angel sighed, his thoughts going back to the world tree, going back to Ursula… she had entrusted him with the safety of Riviera. Knowing that defeating Seth would kill her as well, she still… he couldn't bear to think about it. And Ledah… that… that idiot, why did he have to do that? Even though they managed to save Riviera from the tyrannical Hector, his heart was still torn by the fact that he lost good friends. In fact he almost lost one he perhaps couldn't live without… there wasn't a single day that passed where he didn't thank Ursula for using what was left of her power to bring Fia back to life. "But all that's behind us now. Asgard and Riviera are at peace."_

"_Ein…" The angel gazed at him sympathetically, only needing to look into his eyes to understand. He couldn't even imagine what had happened, how hard they had to fight and how much they had to sacrifice in order to put an end to Hector's plans. He probably wouldn't say it, but he was incredibly proud of the grim angel and his friends… the heroes of Asgard, and the saviors of Riviera. However, that line of thought inevitably forced him to remember a particularly disturbing memory… it was when he had gone to the arc village. "The arcs in Rosalina… they… were killed for the sake of the Retribution, weren't they?"_

"…_Yes."_

"_Does Serene know?"_

"_She knows," The grim angel nodded, and Issirudor looked away, taken aback by his answer. He wasn't sure what kind of thoughts were going through the angel's head at that moment, but he seemed troubled, and that was all anyone really needed to do in order to make someone like Ein worry. Placing a reassuring hand on Issirudor's shoulder, the grim angel smiled a genuine smile. "Serene's fine—don't worry about it okay?"_

"_Y-yes… the thought's just hard to swallow," Issirudor looked back at Ein, surprised to find some measure of comfort in his smile. For someone so young, he looked so… wise. In fact it reminded the angel of Ein's ancestors, majestic creatures with the blood of the Æsir rushing through their very being and their strength nothing short of legendary. It was true that the thousand years which came to pass weakened the grim angels; their offspring straying farther and farther away from their original strength—just like the angels, their life-spans were nearly identical to the sprites. But it was long believed that the spirits of those who resided in Asgard simply wait to be born again, so perhaps the soul of a great and powerful grim angel had taken the form of the person standing in front of him now. No matter how diluted the great blood of the gods were, the potential would always be there; Ein had proved that fact. "I don't understand how anyone can be so strong…"_

"_You said it…" The grim angel smiled sheepishly, crossing his arms in soulful thought. "And to think she didn't even come from Asgard. Speaking of Serene, do you know where she is?"_

"_She told me she needed to speak to the Elder," The green-haired boy replied, finding himself thinking once again about what exactly the old sage would announce. Surely it had something to do with their strange encounter, because he couldn't think of anything else that required the townsfolk's ears, then again this was his first visit, so all he could do was make guesses. But from the way the crowd was beginning to quiet down, it looked like he didn't have to wait much longer. "Those two girls—Fia and Lina right?—they're in his house too."_

"_That's understandable, Fia's the Elder's grand-daughter, so it's natural for her to worry and find out about what's going on… as for Lina well, she follows Fia wherever she goes," Ein said, chuckling softly. Those two were inseparable, especially when Fia was picking berries… although to be honest, he was usually glued to her during those times as well, but who could blame them? She had the unique ability of being able to single out the juiciest and most delicious berries, using it for her cakes and sweets… that was, if there were any left by the time Ein and Lina were finished with them. "Hmmm, it looks like the Elder's about to make his announcement."_

_Both angels looked towards the direction of Graham's house, where the Elder was already outside, accompanied by Ladie, Fia, Lina and Serene. The hushed whispers of the Elendians eventually died down as the somber expressions on the girls' faces silenced the crowd and brought their full attention to the village chief. Even Ein looked on quietly, his stomach twisting into knots as he found himself not wanting to hear what Graham had to say._

"_Good, you are all here… everyone, please heed my words," The old man nodded to himself, his eyes darting to and fro as he made doubly sure that all of the Elendians were indeed gathered. Everyone—including the children—to ensure their safety… the village wasn't safe anymore, that much was wholly certain. It was indeed a good thing that everyone in the village who was old enough to fight was highly capable; otherwise the looming threat would have definitely yielded unavoidable tragedy no matter how hard they tried. "After a thorough investigation of the crystal caverns, it has come to my attention that the barrier I had placed around this village years ago to protect it from the outside world… has been broken."_

"_What? I thought that was impossible!"_

"_This is terrible, that means the village is exposed!"_

"_Uh-oh, I gotta start makin' weapons and armor pronto… a smithy's work is never done!"_

"_Disturbing news indeed…"_

"_Mursya what are the grown-ups talking about?"_

"_I dunno, what's a barrier, nya?"_

"_Does that mean I can't dig up crystals?"_

"_Everybody, please calm down and let the Elder finish his announcement." Ladie commanded, the tone of her voice clearly showing that she meant business. Silence once again fell upon the Elendians, and the winged sprite looked at the old man, urging the respected Elder to continue._

"_Thank you, Ladie," Graham sighed, letting in a deep breath as he prepared to continue talking. His voice wasn't as strong as it used to be, and he found himself struggling to speak any louder than he usually did. As for the Elendians, their reactions were perfectly understandable, even the Elder didn't think that his barrier could possibly be penetrated—a fact he saw with his own two eyes when he visited the caverns where the power of his barrier originated from. That spell was his specialty, and the one he placed around Elendia was something he intended to be permanent; even fusing parts of his own life force to safeguard the peaceful village and its people. The Accursed themselves would not have been able to break through without a show of tremendous effort. "Elendians, I sincerely ask that the children be taken care of, please do not let them wander far and without a guardian… I shall be using the power of the magic circle to re-enact, and possibly reinforce the barrier spell. Therefore, the circle shall be closed off, and no-one may enter or leave Elendia until I am finished. Please stay indoors whenever you can, and if trouble does arise, know that Ladie as well as the fairies will be watching the village and making rounds to ensure your safety…"_

_Issirudor looked back at Ein, who had an unreadable expression on his face. This truly was serious…_

"_I wish to be honest… the penetration of the barrier means that there is a chance of a great and powerful creature in the outskirts of Elendia—in fact, it may be more than one, and they might already be in the village as I speak. Claude, Soala and Cierra will also be creating protective spells of their own around the houses and the magic guild right after this announcement. Please, until the threat is exposed and dealt with, do not travel anywhere in the village alone," Graham continued, the frightened expressions on the faces of the Elendians saddening the Elder. It couldn't be helped, every precaution needed to be taken, and the more the people knew, the less likely they would get hurt. "Remember that we are all highly capable of protecting the children as well as ourselves, and I have no doubts of your abilities… I simply want everyone to be cautious. It will take at least a day for the magic circle to be sealed, and I will need three days to complete the spell. Ein, hero of Riviera, I entrust the destruction of this looming threat to you, my grand-daughter, Lina, Serene, and Cierra… I'm sorry to ask this of you after everything that has happened… but, there's no-one else more capable of protecting Elendia than you."_

"_Yes Elder," The grim angel nodded, a thoughtful determination in his eyes. He would protect Riviera to his last breath… but that didn't mean he wasn't visibly shaken at the severity of the situation. This was the last thing he wanted, the very last thing. He wanted to live out his life in relative peace, perhaps eliminating what was left of the demons… but a direct threat to the village by a creature with the power to break the Elder's barrier? Something was telling him that the worst was yet to come. "I'll do everything in my power to protect Elendia, I promise."_

_Grateful smiles radiated from the Elendians as well as the Elder himself at Ein's words. Even Issirudor was smiling, once again at awe with his kinsman._

"_Thank you Ein… I know that you will not let us down," Graham said, still wondering how he was going to possibly repay the grim angel, as well as his grand-daughter and everyone else for all that they had done for Riviera. He was so thankful that even with all of his years of experience, he still couldn't come up with a fitting reward… and now, he needed to ask for Ein's aid once again, something he didn't want to do in fear of abusing his kindness. But with the village itself in direct and imminent danger, he needed all the help he could get—which also meant getting assistance from unexpected allies. "As for you, Issirudor… I'm sorry that you had to get involved, but if you are able, please assist Ein and the others in any way you can. We would truly appreciate your help."_

"_I will try my best," Issirudor swallowed his fears and nodded, gaining some appreciative glances of his own—and a surprised one courtesy of Serene. He wasn't too sure, but it probably had something to do with his hair… suddenly feeling insecure, the angel wondered if it made him look weird or funny. "I uh, had a haircut courtesy of Mursya."_

"_Oooh… hey Mursya! Izzy looks pretty good, maybe you should think about doin' that professionally." The arc smirked, trying to cheer the people up and perhaps even brighten their spirits… the gods knew everyone here needed a pick-me-up, herself included. _

"_I'd do it for fish, nya!"_

"_Fish huh? Well, Molan could use a haircut…"_

"_N-no! I don't wanna!"_

"_Now now Molan, listen to Mommy."_

"_I don't know about Molan, but Ritz could use a haircut."_

"_What? I do?"_

"_And a bath."_

"_Definitely…"_

"_Heeey! It's not my fault, who has time to bathe when there're still so many crystals ripe for the digging?"_

_The Elder let out a sigh of relief as everything seemed to return to normal. He was half-expecting a panic given the present circumstances, but thanks to Ein's selfless promise and Serene's thoughtfulness, it looked like everything was going to be fine… the mental state of the people was half the battle, and although they were still quite frightened, he knew that they had won that half hands down. Even Ladie was smiling, and that was known as a very good omen, at least to the people who knew her. Clearing his throat, Graham finished his announcements with a loud and clear voice, mentally prepared to do his part in protecting his people. "And that concludes my announcement. Please bear in mind that we are not helpless, and that we will overcome any obstacle if we only work together and cooperate… believe in Ein's words, I know that he will protect us if we will only protect ourselves."_

_I know that he will protect us… believe in Ein's words…_

_Believe in Ein…_

"Believe in me, huh…"

"What was that Ein?"

"It's nothing," The grim angel let out an uneasy breath; his eyes wide open as the night's breeze whistled playfully outside. It seemed as though the more he thought about the situation, the less confident he became. He wasn't as sure of himself as he had been when they'd gone after Hector… and what was more disturbing was he knew the reason why. He was also aware of the fact that if this kept up, then keeping his promise wouldn't even be an option—but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't help but deny his problem… "Just thinking out loud."

"Oh…"

Several seconds passed in silence, and when the green-haired girl finally allowed her mind to relax and rest, what happened next shattered the peaceful landscape that she had been painting in the canvas of her mind in an effort to lull herself to sleep.

"I'm scared, Fia."

_Ein…?_ Fia stifled a gasp, having been caught completely off-guard by the grim angel's words. There were instances when Ein would open up to her and talk about what he felt regarding certain personal things… but this was the very first time she had ever heard him say that. In fact it affected her so profoundly that any words of encouragement she may have been planning to say just seemed to die in her throat. "I…"

"Sorry… I know this isn't the best time to say that, I just… ugh, I don't know," Ein said confusedly, turning once again so that he faced the wall—and so that Fia couldn't see the terrified look in his eyes. He shouldn't have said something like that, especially with what was happening. It seemed like he couldn't do anything right these days… he wasn't supposed to show any sign of weakness, they were counting on him to be strong. He promised he would be strong… and they believed in him… "Please forget about what I said, it's nothing."

A full minute had passed without a reply from his best friend, so Ein figured it was safe to assume that the girl did what she was told and just went to sleep. There was some relief to that, but at the same time Ein felt a pang of sadness at the thought that he may have alienated Fia. He knew that he would have to forget about his fears and be strong for his friends; but without any kind of emotional support he didn't know where to start.

He was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice his bed creaking, whining at the extra weight that had been placed on it… what he did notice though—to his utter, and total surprise—was an arm that circled his side, and a soft hand taking both of his, giving them a gentle squeeze.

Needless to say, Ein was making a pretty good impression of a goldfish about now.

Fia let out a deep, emotional breath, resting her head on Ein's pillow as she laid herself beside the motionless grim angel. After hearing the boy's soulful confession, she just couldn't handle it anymore… she let her heart guide her, and in doing so found herself on his bed, with her arm wrapped around him, and her hand gently caressing his own. She knew that he needed her now, more than ever… and she needed him too. "I-if you don't mind, may I sleep here… with you?"

Ein's heart skipped at least three beats as he tried not to tremble, having no idea how to react. But he could also feel how fast Fia's own heart was beating, and in that instant his body relaxed itself, his own feelings becoming easier and easier to accept. He was afraid of losing them. He was afraid that his strength wouldn't be enough to protect Elendia completely, and that someone close to him would suffer for it… there was no denying his fears—he was terrified of losing anymore of his friends the way he lost Ledah… the way he lost Fia… "…Please."

"Ein…" The green-haired girl smiled blissfully, leaning forward so that her forehead touched the back of the boy's neck; shuddering as she took in his unique scent. She honestly had no idea how she could have possibly come up with the strength to even do this… but she was infinitely glad she did. The fact that she was able to give Ein even just a little bit of comfort sealed away any sign of embarrassment she might have normally felt in a situation like this. "It's okay to be afraid… grandfather once told me that fear is like a shadow—it's dark, faceless, and sometimes, terrifying… but shadows can only come from light. Without fear, then there's no hope, just like without the light, shadows would cease to exist, wouldn't they?"

"I… never looked at it that way. I guess so."

"So in effect, being afraid is what drives us to try harder… it's what makes us hope that if we try our best, then our worst fears won't be realized." Fia explained, all the while wishing that she could just seize this moment in time, and they could be like this forever. Off-handedly, she also tried to avoid thinking about what would happen if he turned around, because if they were like this face to face… she wasn't even sure what she'd do. Although to be honest, it was highly likely that she'd die of embarrassment before anything even happened so… _Please don't turn around, pleaaase…_

Unfortunately, Ein was not a psychic, so he couldn't really hear her thoughts, much less abide by them…

The grim angel suddenly shifted his position so that he was looking straight into her eyes, their faces within inches of each other. Strangely enough Ein had been far too moved by Fia's words to even realize the tricky predicament they were in. Instead, the grim angel just stared at her thoughtfully, taking into heart everything she'd said. "Then it's really okay to be afraid…"

"O-of course…" Fia replied, her voice suddenly becoming quite tiny. If this kept up, she wasn't sure if her resolve was going to last… "It would be strange not to be afraid…"

"I understand," Ein nodded, not allowing himself to be plagued any longer by his memories. He was nothing short of amazed by the perspective that was so graciously shown to him by his best friend, and he would make it up to her by trying his very best not to let his fears become a reality. He would protect Fia and his friends, or die trying… as long as their safety was concerned, there was no middle ground. "Thank you Fia… for everything."

"E-Ein…" Fia's lips quivered, unable to look away from his magnetic, passionate gaze. She was well aware of the fact that the last of her self-control had already turned tail and ran, leaving the girl vulnerable and helpless, the intoxicating smell doing little to calm her down. What would it be like, she wondered… to kiss those lips? Would it feel strange? Would it have a taste of some sort? Fia found herself panting softly as she struggled to stop herself from doing anything rash. This wasn't like her at all! She needed to think this over, she needed… to kiss him… "Ein can I…"

"What is it Fia…? You know you can tell me anythi—mmmph…?"

Unable to control herself any longer, the flustered girl shut her eyes and pushed her lips into his, hoping to sneak a kiss in the dark and get it all over with. Unfortunately (fortunately?), she had accidentally caught the grim angel with his mouth open, and in doing so made her open her own mouth in surprise. The fervent kiss that followed was suddenly far too steamy for her to even think of stopping… even more so when Ein started to kiss back—or tried to, she wasn't quite sure what was happening anymore, her senses completely overwhelmed by a tsunami of previously repressed emotion and desire. Two seconds turned into four, and four into eight with neither letting up; ragged, muffled breaths all she could hear, and the most beautiful fireworks she had ever seen exploding in her mind's eye. _I'm kissing Ein… his tongue… I'm kissing… Ein… I'm…_

Suddenly, the kiss was over as abruptly as it began.

_Did… did we just do that?_ Ein thought to himself, breathing hard; his face as red as a tomato. Fia kissed him…! But, he had never expected it to be so aggressive. In fact the only thing that crossed his mind during the fateful moment was to try and kiss back—this was his first real kiss, so he wasn't even sure if he was doing it right. Still, that was beside the point… Fia kissed him! He couldn't believe it. Blinking, the confused grim angel remembered that she was still right in front of him, and another rush of blood covered his cheeks all the way to his neck. Did she want him to start a conversation? How was he supposed to go about doing that after what happened? Did she want him to stay quiet? No, probably not… still, what was he supposed to say? "F-Fia… that was… just, wow… to be honest I really don't know what to say. Does… does this mean you have feelings for me? Because I… I think I feel the same way too…"

No answer.

"Fia…?"

Silence. 

"Fia, are you okay?" Finally regaining enough composure to think straight; at least to a certain extent, Ein realized that her eyes were closed, and she was breathing slowly, yet steadily. _She fainted…_

Letting out a tired sigh, Ein shared his blanket with the unconscious girl and turned slightly so that he was on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. It would probably be a long time before he'd be able to muster up enough strength to confess his feelings to her again… it was just too stressful. But still, that didn't mean he was unhappy… as a matter of fact his stupid looking smile was already threatening to split his face in two. Placing his finger on his lips, Ein couldn't help but laugh. Love could be kind of funny sometimes.

**Riviera: ****Æsir of Deception, Special Chapter (Ein and Fia): "A kiss in the dark."**

**--**

A/N: Okay, so obviously this isn't chapter five (it's more like a chapter 4.5 than anything)… this is a little experiment of mine ). Special chapters are parts of the story which will usually showcase two characters, and I'll be using it to help the readers understand the current plot's direction just a little bit more and/or strengthen certain relationships (in this case I did both), without advancing the main story (sort of like an extra scene in a movie, or a coffee break scene). What separates it from actual chapters is aside from it being the slightest bit shorter; if it was ever taken out of the main story then it won't confuse the readers, at least not as much as if the story was missing an actual chapter. In other words, it can act as a story on its own because it concentrates on two characters.

If you guys like the special chapters, go ahead and let me know (perhaps even suggest a certain pair you'd like to participate in them), and I'll be sure to write up another one soon. In any case, I'll probably make a special chapter once every five to six chapters as a breather from all the craziness, or if ever I feel that I need to explain the plot more (like I did now xD).

With all that aside, I think it's safe to say that the storm is indeed coming. Chapter five will be when the cogs finally start moving, and the main plot (finally) advances. I apologize to anyone who may have been looking forward to five, but trust me when I say that I needed to explain the plot a little bit more with this chapter before I proceed.

Happy Reading!


	6. The fool

"The sun is coming," The old man whispered to himself, his bony fingers trailing through the ancient parchment of a book that had been in his possession for as long as he could possibly remember, yet had never been able to read. And—just like he had done for the past thousand years—he flipped the pages, tracing the material in an effort to come across something he could make out with his fingers, ignoring the fact that he had already memorized every rip, every last protuberance… every single page as clear as day in his mind. However, what was written on those aforementioned pages, he hadn't the slightest clue…

With a resounding sigh, the decrepit man closed the book, neither disappointed nor frustrated. Whether or not he could read the contents didn't really matter; he knew what the book was used for, and that was exactly why he couldn't see it… or anything else for that matter. Lifting his hand to touch his face, he ran his fingers through the cloth that covered his sightless eyes, not the least bit curious about what they were missing out on. His mind's eye had seen more than anyone else could even fathom in a thousand lifetimes… stars, galaxies, universes not of this own, the only world truly escaping his vision being the one he called his home. He had foreseen a million days come and go in different times and spaces… but today was especially important.

Today, the battle for the resurrection of Utgard began.

He had spent weeks searching for the village of the ones who had defeated the Accursed as well as succeeding in stopping Hector and the Retribution, and when he had finally found the place he was looking for, a spiritual barrier stood in his way. The magic used for the spell was quite powerful and he, as well as his familiar went to great lengths to break it… inevitably, this put the inhabitants in a state of alarm. Or perhaps, it was his possession of a pelga in order to test the strength of one of the heroes who stopped Retribution—an arc who wielded a large scythe, which caused the villagers to cast barriers on all the houses. Either way, it didn't really matter. He would make himself known to the village of Elendia soon enough. What was curious however, was the angel who accompanied the arc… he was not a grim angel, yet he held a diviner. But there was something even stranger about the boy that he couldn't quite explain.

The old man's blind eyes may not have been able to see, but he could sense the spiritual presence of virtually every being that inhabited Utgard… and to say that the boy's presence was something of an irregularity was an extreme understatement. To put it simply, the angel should already be dead. His spirit was faint and scattered about, and there was a hole where his heart should have been. It was, more or less a sight he would usually see around a newly dug grave, when the ghost of the deceased still retained some fleeting semblance of its former life; particularly the state of confusion. Truth be told, this was the very first time he was genuinely unable to explain the reason why certain things were the way they were, and it bothered the old man about as much as it fascinated him.

It was a stroke of luck that the angel also resided in the same village… how someone of his race descended from Asgard he couldn't know for sure. Nevertheless, the answers would all come very soon. The hour was close at hand, he would have to depart—

_VASSSSSSAGO…_

The old man stifled a gasp as his familiar's voice echoed in his mind. There was something horribly wrong. Turning his head to look behind him, his blind eyes watched in silent dread as a behemoth of a figure materialized in the darkness of his sight, the sound of unfortunate trees being ripped apart by the creature's great size overwhelming his senses. In the countless years that he had lived, there was not a single instance when his familiar had called him by his name. "What foolishness is this? The familiar will showeth respect to thy master, or I will taketh away thy putrid life."

The creature, which finally materialized into physical form resembling a gargantuan alligator, opened its tremendous jaw and let out a growl with such power that the surrounding trees were battered and the very ground shook in fear—the old man it had referred to as Vassago however, did not so much as move an inch. Given the physiology of the creature, it could not speak, but it was able to telepathically form words into the mind of whomever it wished.

_YOU ARE NOT MY MASSSTER ANYMORE… YOU SSSEEK TO BETRAY YOUR KIN… YOU WILL GIVE THE BOOK TO HIM NOW…_

"Andromalius," Vassago spat out the name like a piece of dirt. After a thousand years, his brother was finally starting to break the divine bonds that held him; deep within the darkest confines of this universe. But even in his sealed state, Andromalius had managed to somehow remove Vassago's seal from his familiar, and was also aware of his betrayal despite his situation. His older brother truly was most terrifying… but no matter what, he must not gain possession of the book—it would spell doom for all that inhabited Riviera. Even Asgard in its complacence would not be able to stand against what could perhaps be the true end of all living things. "Familiar, thou art but an extension of your master. If thou wishes to perish, then so be it."

_I MAY BE FORBIDDEN FROM KILLING YOU… BUT I WILL STILL TAKE THE BOOK, BY FORCCCE…!_

"Thou shalt try." Placing the archaic book in a sack and hoisting it on his left shoulder, the old man quickly undid the ropes bounding the sleeve to his right hand, a great malevolent darkness seeping from underneath the cloth. What was left of the flora surrounding them shuddered and withered away into nothing, unable to stand against the combined evil the two beings clearly possessed. It seemed as though time itself stood still as the massive alligator took a step forward, its murderous eyes piercing through its unfazed master, the creature's saw-toothed jaw eager to let blood.

_Issirudor, you must help this man… there is no time, please hurry!_

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Five – "The fool."**

"Hah!"

Serene's scythe sliced the air at breakneck speed, its great size and weight doing little to hinder the arc from using her prized weapon's full potential. Tensing her whole body, she soundly proved that fact again by suddenly bringing the scythe to a complete halt in such a manner that it made little to no strain on her wrists or elbows, smirking as she silently applauded her success in that particular aspect. It was the reason she couldn't properly defend against Malice's onslaught—the diviner was far too fast… and though Serene was known as the best in the village when it came to using the scythe, she was still at a disadvantage parrying the insane grim angel's merciless offensive. Thankfully, her time with Ein and the others have helped hone her skill to unprecedented levels. Not to mention she didn't get cramps trying to keep up with faster opponents anymore.

Lowering her guard and resting the tail of her scythe on the ground, Serene let the cold early morning air fill her lungs, albeit astonished at the amount of progress she was making. She had been practicing for well over an hour now and she was hardly breaking a sweat. Even the stiffness that would often plague her whenever she took a quick break from training wasn't around. Her lop-sided grin softening into a smile, the arc couldn't help but gaze at the pendant that hung innocently from her neck. She didn't know why, but she felt like the unassuming stone was giving her the energy to keep going somehow. It may have been some sort of barrier spell, but she suspected there was something else… something subtle about Izzy's rune and, whatever it was, she felt at peace because of it. _Speaking of Izzy…_

Serene gazed upwards for the hundredth time, her sharp eyes catching the angel sleeping on one of the branches of her favorite tree. He was such a sound sleeper, he almost seemed lifeless—in fact she spent most of the night checking the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest time and time again just to make sure he was still breathing. _I wonder what he's dreaming about._

Breaking out of her reverie, the arc tensed herself once again, lifting her scythe into a fighting stance. She had decided against taking a five-minute break, seeing as she was still highly capable of keeping the current pace. Feeling especially confident, Serene's grin resurfaced as she gave her wings a couple of flaps to warm up for an experimental move she'd been tinkering with these past few weeks. Truth be told there hadn't been much success, she had been attempting to mix flying and fighting into one, hoping to get an improvement from both—but there was only so much she could do when she was in mid-air, that it made trying to think up of new efficient moves almost impossible. It seemed as though every technique involving flight was already common sense… but, that was exactly the reason why she wanted to try again. Why did she need to fly every time she used her wings? Thoughts of her encounter with the crazed Pelga entered her head as Serene remembered using her wings, but only to give her body an extra push in the right direction. If she applied the same thing to the momentum of her weapon then… "Here we go…!"

Restlessly holding her breath, Serene wasted no time as she took a step forward, using the power of her legs to launch herself into the air less than a split-second later. Quickly flapping her wings once to keep her sustained in mid-air, the arc shifted her body with the help of her scythe into such a position that her side was parallel to the ground. More than eager to put her theory to the test, Serene used all of her strength to swing her scythe downwards, letting the weapon's overwhelming weight do its job for her—before she knew it the scythe was already whirling in circles—spinning her along with it.

But that was only half of what she had originally intended. As she reached the apex of her jump, the arc made use of her wings once again; this time, she waved them opposite the direction she was spinning, drastically increasing the speed of her spin. Serene couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud as she reveled in her first true success, but her mood quickly darkened at the realization that she was now spinning at a ridiculous speed… as well as headed straight towards the ground. _Uh, maybe I should've thought this through…_

"Too fast too fast w-whoa—eeep!" Serene let out a non-characteristically feminine squeal as she held onto her scythe as tightly as she could, bracing for the inevitable impact. Somehow, her weapon had still managed to make several full revolutions as it sliced the rock hard dirt over and over again without losing the slightest amount of speed—causing the scythe to go deeper with each slice. But just when the arc thought it would go on forever, the scythe embedded itself on some marble buried about two feet underneath the ground, causing her weapon to make an abrupt stop and… _Okay I admit I should've thought this through—_

"WAAAH!" Serene wailed helplessly as her scythe's permanent change in position combined with her momentum forced her to let go as it mercilessly vaulted her upwards in a bee-line, straight towards the branch where Issirudor was sleeping on. The arc tried desperately to stop herself by flapping her wings in the opposite direction, but she was still spinning, and the random positions she found herself in made it impossible for her to do anything with her wings.

The ensuing crash was something of a blur to Serene… all she remembered was hitting Izzy as well as a part of the branch, resulting in the both of them falling towards the earth, her experimental maneuver officially ending in failure… and a dull thud.

"Ugh, ouch…" Issirudor slowly stood up, utterly confused as he tried his best to gather his bearings. Did he fall from the tree? All he needed was to look up to realize that it was probably the case… and it certainly explained all the pain. Still, there was something else that bothered him. He had the strangest dream… if he could only remember—"Serene?!"

"N-not so loud…" The arc muttered, looking half-conscious as she lay sprawled on the ground next to the angel. At the very least, she had finally stopped spinning… now, if the world would only do the same… "Izzy is that you? My head…"

"What happened…?" Issirudor wasted no time in getting down on one knee, checking her first for any serious injuries by using what was left of his powers to scan her for anything broken. When he was sure that she wasn't in any real danger, he gently helped Serene up, the concern clearly evident in his eyes. Once the two were standing again he slowly let go, but she wobbled as soon as his hands left her arms. Fortunately, Issirudor quickly got a hold of her again before she tilted all the way back to the ground, keeping her in his arms as he let her gain her composure… once again, Serene's scent was invading his sense of smell, and a strange feeling came over the angel as he found himself unable to stop looking at her, his initial drowsiness having almost completely worn off. "Are you all right?"

"W-wait, wait a minute just gimme… gimme a second…" Serene mumbled, leaning forward and resting her head on the angel's shoulder as she closed her eyes in an effort to stop the world from spinning. She didn't know how long she had her eyes closed, but as the better part of a minute flew by she finally began to feel better. She also started to notice that her pendant felt warm, and very soothing. By then it didn't take long for her to realize that she was in Izzy's arms, and with that knowledge she couldn't help but open her eyes and lock gazes with him, his soft expression making her feel comfortable, yet queasy at the same time. "Uhm… mornin'."

"Uh—ah, morning," The angel stammered, letting go of the arc albeit hesitantly, his heart pounding viciously in his chest. He searched Serene's eyes in an effort to guess whatever it was she was thinking, but she was giving him such a strange, indecisive stare that he couldn't tell what was going on in her mind at all. And just when he finally mustered up the courage to ask, mental pictures of a dying old man overwhelmed his thoughts and Ydun's instructions were suddenly as clear as day. With the memories of his dream finally returning, the angel looked at the arc with newfound purpose, causing a torrent of blood to flow to Serene's cheeks almost instantly. "Serene, this may sound odd and a little sudden, but I have to tell you something…"

"Y-yeah…?" The arc in question squeaked, finding her voice to be quite tiny.

"I need to save someone, an old man… I think he's dying, and there isn't much time to waste. Uh, I know this doesn't make any sense but lady Ydun told me in a dream that I need to go and help him."

"…What?"

"I uhm, have to help someone I saw in my vision because lady Ydun told me to."

"Oh." Serene replied blankly, scratching her head as the angel's words registered into her mind. This was definitely not something she had expected him to say. Actually, she didn't even know if she could classify it as something she didn't expect him to say, because that wouldn't have done the fact justice at all. Sure, the angel had told her about the goddess of youth during the night, and how she had a hand in their chance meeting, but the arc had always been a little skeptical about things she couldn't see with her own two eyes. Truth be told she wanted to ask Izzy if he landed awkwardly from the tree (perhaps on his head), but she decided against it and gave the angel the benefit of the doubt. Either way, she vowed to work the kinks out of her experimental maneuver, for both her sake and the people around her. "Well… do you have any idea where to start looking for this uh, dying old man?"

Issirudor opened his mouth to reply, but his voice died in his throat as he came to the realization that he had absolutely no idea where to even start looking. It looked like the old man was in Elendia's forests, but that didn't help at all, considering how vast it was… and to top it all off the burning pain in his chest had also returned. Cursing his own awkward silence, the angel pondered about whether or not he even had a vision in the first place when his left hand suddenly started to glow pale green, his diviner flaring up into existence seconds after. Before he could react to it, the green blade forced itself out of his grip and—taking on a life of its own—hovered on the ground for a few seconds before positioning its pointed edge north. "I have a feeling Asynjur knows where he might be."

"Yeah, probably…" The arc nodded, mimicking Issirudor's clueless expression as they both eyed the diviner with growing interest. Angels were definitely a strange lot… even more so than grim angels, now that she thought about it. Still, he looked about as confused as she was, making things all the more interesting. In situations like these, there wasn't anything she could do but play along and hope that it didn't get them into too much trouble. "We should get Ein and the others."

Issirudor nodded in agreement when the diviner suddenly picked up speed, heading off toward the same direction it was pointing. Feeling helpless, the angel looked back at Serene with an apologetic look on his face before going after his diviner, knowing full well that he would most likely lose the trail for good if he didn't follow it now.

"Well so much for that idea," Serene sighed, quickly heading over to where her scythe was and took a hold of her weapon, ripping it out of the ground with minimal effort despite the marble that held it in place. There was no way she was going to let Izzy head off on some last-minute rescue mission without her watching his back. Truth be told she'd much rather have Ein, Fia, Lina and Cierra along with them considering the fact that she had no idea what they would be up against… but at the same time, spending so much time alone with Issirudor felt… well, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The only thing she knew at the moment was that she felt a strong bond with the angel, and not just because she was wearing the pendant he created. Of course, now wasn't really the best time to ponder about it, she needed to catch up. _I'm not letting you go alone, that's for sure!_

Issirudor looked behind him to see Serene easily keeping up to Asynjur's relatively speedy pace and smiled gratefully as he quickly returned his attention to the diviner, trying his very best not to lose sight of it. Eventually, the arc managed to inch forward enough that they were running alongside each other as they chased their one and only lead to that old man. "Sorry about all this…"

"Don't worry about it Izzy, it isn't your fault… besides, nothing says workout like a good sprint!"

The diviner evaded trees, roots and vines as it continued to head north, forcing Issirudor and Serene to do the same; from jumping over the enlarged roots as well as rolling and sliding under low branches to using the vines in order to avoid the occasional deep mud puddle. After chasing Asynjur for what felt like several minutes, they came across a wide, almost abysmal river, an obstacle quickly overcome thanks to Serene's wings. Letting Issirudor hold the scythe (with relative difficulty), she scooped him up from underneath his arms and carried him over the river… but they needed to make up for lost time as soon as they touched the ground, the angel muttering a quick word of thanks before they continued to chase the diviner, which hadn't lost any speed because it was able to fly over and through the body of water without any problem.

It wasn't long before the forest became darker and darker despite the rising sun, a feeling of silent anxiety creeping up on the two as they made their way through hundreds of trees with no end of the forest in sight. But at the very least it was much easier to see Asynjur as it darted around the trees because of its glow; which looked as though it was fighting against the darkness that blanketed them. Serene's eyes widened when she scanned the area as they ran, realizing a grim fact…

"Izzy these… these trees are all dead…"

"…" The angel could only nod in hopeless acknowledgement, unable to say anything as the diviner's light slowly became dimmer and dimmer, as if to tell him that their goal was very near. He could feel Asynjur's energy returning to his arm as they ran through more dead trees before finally reaching a sight neither would forget anytime soon. His weapon had already disappeared completely, leading them to a pocket in the forest where no flora lived—or even stood for that matter. What looked to be the remains of withered and charred trees were scattered across the area stretching for hundreds of yards, creating an almost perfect circle of a wasteland; an unsightly blemish in the beautiful forests of Elendia. What was even more disturbing was despite the lack of trees to block the sun's light… it was still dark.

Feeling particularly vulnerable, Serene found herself looking to Issirudor for a comforting word, or any other gesture of reassurance, only to find him shaking at the lifeless sight; an unbearably sad expression on his face. He felt it, didn't he…? The life that had been ruthlessly snuffed from this peaceful place… he could feel the spirits cry. She knew this because in some ways, she could feel it too. Taking the angel's shaky hand, Serene brought it to rest where her pendant hung from her neck, pressing his palm onto the silver rock on her chest in an effort to transfer some of the peaceful warmth that emanated from it. She wanted her pendant to protect its creator, too. "Don't be so gloomy… it's contagious y'know?"

"I…" Issirudor found Serene's eyes once again, a grateful smile forming on his lips as her pendant filled his entire being with a tranquil peace that seemed to wash away the dreadful feeling the place wrought. His initial shock wearing off, the angel let out a calming sigh, eternally grateful for the arc's presence. If not for her, he probably would have been overwhelmed by paralyzing sense of death in the air. "I won't… thanks."

"That's better," She replied with a toothy grin, the angel's smile helping the arc steel her own determination for whatever it was to come. Gently letting go of his hand, Serene returned her attention to the bizarre sight—and just like that, the search was over. Her sharp eyesight had already picked up faint movement in the middle of the lifeless pocket of land, and she quickly raised her arm, pointing at the discovery. "There's something moving over there… let's go check it out."

Issirudor nodded; a curious look on his face as they both headed towards the middle of the devastated circle. Stepping on the numerous trunks and branches of the charred trees as they walked, he couldn't help but wonder what could have caused such destruction, considering the fact that the once thick and mighty trunks gave almost no resistance at all to their weight, the remains easily crushed into ash under their feet. _This couldn't have been caused by a fire…_

A sudden chill crept up Serene's spine as they neared the source of the movement and—from what her gut was telling her—the source of the terrible aura that surrounded this whole place as well. She could smell the coppery scent of blood getting stronger with each and every step, her thoughts going back to what the Elder had told them… perhaps this old man Issirudor spoke of was the victim of whoever managed to break Elendia's barrier… that definitely seemed plausible enough. Her thoughts didn't go very far however, as she subconsciously became more and more alert, her senses screaming at her to turn back. It was highly unsettling, and the arc was finding it difficult not to just walk the other way and forget about all of this. Still, if there was someone in trouble… then there wasn't much of a choice. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

It wasn't long before the shape's details became all too apparent—and the sight gave Serene the worst case of goose-bumps she ever had.

"That's him!" Issirudor cried, the person in his vision completely identical to the struggling figure, breaking into a sprint when he realized just how terrible the man's current state was. His robe soaked in blood, the aged man choked out a cough as he noticed the angel and the arc heading for him and attempted to prop himself up with a battered arm—only to fall forward once again on the jet black dirt. Issirudor, wasting no time quickly knelt beside him and rolled him to his back, studying the injury as best as he could. "Don't strain yourself anymore… we're here to help."

The old man hacked miserably in reply. Most of his ribs had caved in, his throat barely able to manage half a lungful of air. His familiar may not have been permitted to kill him, but it had most certainly done the next best thing. Yet even in this state, his mind peered relentlessly in all directions, immediately identifying his saviors as the two who had successfully defended themselves against his Pelga the day before—the angel, and the arc. Yet, the former now had certain features to his presence that the aged man had not seen the last time… features that seemed all too familiar.

_Ydun…?_

Issirudor was about to place his exposed hand on the man's chest when he stopped dead on his tracks. That voice… it was the same as the one he had heard after the battle with the Pelga! Visibly stunned, the angel found himself staring at the old man's face, from the blindfold that covered his eyes to his long white beard, dyed streaks of crimson—something the angel could only assume had come from his injuries. Was he the one that possessed the Pelga? If that were true, then it certainly explained the feeling of dread on the pit of his stomach… the old man was literally oozing a dark, sinister aura that made the angel anxious. Still, it didn't even begin to explain how so much damage could have been done to the forest.

"What's wrong Izzy?" Serene said quietly, her voice a mix of confusion and dread. She had stopped a few feet from the angel, reluctant to go any closer. True enough, the grisly sight had fascinated the arc to an extent, but the part of her mind that had screamed for caution won the battle hands down. "Is it… too much to heal?"

"Huh? You mean you didn't hear…"

"What are you talking about? Hear what?"

"Ah… nothing," Issirudor returned his attention to the old man, realization kicking in. It was certainly loud enough for Serene to hear, and he didn't notice the man's lips moving when he heard him speak… that could only mean that the voice originated from his mind. Brushing any more thoughts aside that it was just a product of his imagination, Issirudor leaned forward and spoke back, unable to help but wonder if the old man was really speaking to him telepathically. "How do you know lady Ydun?"

_Thou doest possess her image…_

The angel's eyes widened. Despite the fact that he expected an answer, he was surprised to hear it nonetheless. So, the bearded man really was the one who possessed the Pelga. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, the angel decided against telling Serene, instead wasting no time in placing his hand on the man's chest, closing his eyes and concentrating as hard as he could. Several seconds passed in silence before Issirudor opened them again, looking almost completely drained. "The wounds on his neck and chest have been closed… but, he needs to go back with us to Elendia now to a real healer, I don't know how much time he has left."

"Okay," Serene nodded, quickly kneeling beside the angel. Being as gentle as she possibly could, she cradled the old man's head and upper back, aiding Issirudor in lifting him to a sitting position. She didn't show it, but there was something terrifying about the old man she couldn't quite explain… and looking at the angel, it seemed like he was thinking the same thing—or rather, ignoring it. "Up you go…"

"All right, let's get you out of—"

"Wait…" The old man coughed, finally mustering enough strength to speak, and startling both the arc and the angel in the process. "The book… thou must reclaim the book…"

**Chapter Five – Closure…**

"A book?" Serene said incredulously, her lips quickly forming a frown. "Your life's in danger and you're worried about a stinkin'—"

Silence.

Issirudor's eyes widened. His gaze darting towards Serene and back to the old man, he realized to his complete and utter dismay that everything around him was still. He couldn't even feel the deathly frigid air that had plagued him since the two had passed through the river, following the runaway Asynjur. Trying to bottle his rapidly building anxiety, the angel closed his eyes, took a long deep breath and—convinced that he had collected his composure—looked again.

Still nothing.

The angel's breath caught in his throat and he started to show signs of panic when the same, gentle voice of lady Ydun he had heard the day before echoed throughout the forest. Despite that however, her tone sounded hushed, quiet as a whisper.

_Issirudor… please heed Vassago's words._

"Lady Ydun?" Issirudor spoke in the same hushed tone, unable to pinpoint the source of her voice because it seemed to be coming from all directions. His focus returning to the old man, he realized that this was the person Ydun was telling him about. Vassago… the name certainly didn't ring any bells. "He mentioned something about getting back a book of his…"

_Indeed. The book is the only key to two possible futures for Riviera. One is a future of hope… the other, total annihilation._

"What? Annihilation?" Issirudor stood, searching in vain for the goddess of youth. "How could a book be so important? Asgard can't let that happen…"

_I am afraid without it; even Asgard will be helpless to act. The time for answers will come soon dear angel. For now, you must find the book… Riviera's existence depends on it._

"But why—"

"—book???"

Issirudor blinked. He could have sworn he was standing a second ago… but then again he could've sworn everything was in suspended animation as well. Sighing, the angel shook his head. Whatever it was he thought was happening, wasn't anymore. It seemed as though time was flowing once again, and he was back in his original position, kneeling beside the old man… in fact if he didn't know any better, then he would have dismissed his little chat with the goddess of youth as nothing but a delusion. Yet, aside from Riviera's destruction being tied to the book, there was something else… "Vassago. Is that your name?"

"…Indeed," Vassago nodded, unable to hide his surprised expression. There was a time when he thought his name lost forever in the annals of history… it had taken a thousand years to prove him wrong, when he would hear it once again, echoing from the jaws of his traitorous familiar… and now, from this strange boy. "Thou hast the Æsir's knowledge… was it lady Ydun who spoketh my name?"

"Yes," Issirudor nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. It looked like he wasn't delusional just yet.

"How exactly does she tell you these things anyway?" Serene asked, curious as to how—and when—the so-called goddess of youth gave Izzy this information. She assumed they had some sort of telepathic connection, or some other crazy way of communicating with each other, like the vision that he had about the old man. However, it didn't seem like the angel knew who exactly they were going after before they chased his diviner… so it merited a question at the very least.

"Ah… I'm not too sure to be honest," He replied, his voice laden with uncertainty. There really was no sure way of knowing how the goddess would appear to him, and he couldn't just say that she made time stand still; it didn't feel like the appropriate response. "It's really hard to explain."

"Hm." Serene shrugged, half-accepting the angel's rushed answer. If the goddess had something important to relay, she should just tell everybody if it was so urgent… but whatever. Who knew what unnecessarily complicated plan that invisible woman had in store anyway? It was none of the her business as far as the arc was concerned… well, so long as no-one (or nothing) tried to kill them at least. "So, I take it we're gonna have to go get this guy's book when we've brought him back?"

"Right… sorry," The angel said apologetically, sensing a bit of irritation in the arc's voice. He couldn't really blame her… none of this made too much sense, how much less in her shoes? "We'll have to—"

He was interrupted by a choked wheeze, forcing them to return their attention to Vassago, who suddenly looked no better than before his more grievous wounds had been closed.

"My… familiar, it… hath taken the book…" The injured man gasped, his whole body shivering from the pain as he struggled to breathe once more. He knew this effect all too well… his familiar's teeth and claws were not only sharp and terribly deadly, it was also laced with a deadly, fast-acting poison which would often horrifically kill its victim within minutes. Of course, he was immune to its effects, but ever since Andromalius had removed the seal, he could no longer be sure. "I have mortally injured the foul beast… h-however, it doeth protect itself from plain sight and will not reappear… thou… thou must use this…"

Before Issirudor could say anything, the old man thrust an obsidian pebble into the boy's hands. His wheezing was getting worse, and he struggled to say more.

"T-the stone will force the creature to showeth its true form… angel, thou must confront it, now… now, while it is still vulnerable… there is no time to…" Vassago shook visibly, leaning to the side and vomiting out a small amount of blood. There was internal bleeding, along with the poison itself… for the very first time the ancient man feared for his life, not because he didn't want to pass on—but because they weren't likely to survive his brother, even if they did possess the book. He needed to guide them, to raise their chances against the coming onslaught. And yet, if Andromalius possessed the book, then there was no hope for victory. So given the situation, it was more important to take it back rather than keep him alive… "This is your only chance…"

"Are you nuts? We're not letting you die over this book, no matter how important it is to you," Serene said incredulously, helping Vassago back onto his feet and slinging his arm over her shoulder. "And that's final. Come on Izzy, help me bring this guy back to Elendia."

"Hold on, Serene…" The angel stood, looking at the arc with resolute eyes. Truth be told he was afraid of what he was about to suggest, but it didn't look like there was any other way. It was either he tried to find Vassago's familiar now, or go against lady Ydun's advice and take the path of _annihilation_. He wasn't sure if that were really true, but it was always better to be safe than sorry… though the true definition of safe was yet to be seen. "I'll go look for that book, and you can bring Vassago back to Elendia."

"Now you're sounding nuts too," The arc frowned, clearly not pleased with the recent turn of events. It was bad enough that they had left without Ein and the others, but now he wanted to search for the book of a crazy person, which just so happens to be in the hands of some murderous creature? "You do realize that his familiar or whatever you call it might have been the one to break Elendia's barrier don't you? Hurt or no that thing is still too dangerous to go after alone."

"Yes… but with your wings you can bring Vassago back to Elendia faster than I," Issirudor reasoned, trying to convince himself that it was a good idea as well. "And you can come back here with help too… please Serene, there isn't much of a choice, the book really is as important as he claims it to be… Riviera could be depending on it."

"Ugh," Serene closed her eyes and shook her head, massaging the bridge of her nose with her free hand. Crazy as it sounded, Izzy was right. She could get Vassago back to Elendia and take Ein and the others with her to aid him in no time… she hoped. Nevertheless, she didn't like the idea one bit. There was a big chance the angel could get in a heap of trouble before they even arrived, and she was still skeptical about the book… but for the hundredth time today, she gave the angel the benefit of the doubt. Picking up her Scythe, Serene gave her wings a warm-up; flapping it multiple times. "Old man, where does Izzy have to go?"

Wordlessly, Vassago lifted his shaky hand, pointing east from their current location. His familiar was headed to Andromalius' shrine to deliver the book… but it was quite far, and with the wounds he had inflicted, his familiar would be treading slower than usual—in fact, Vassago knew it was slower, he could feel it. But once it recovered from its injuries, his familiar's intangible form would be capable of travelling at a frightening speed, so there truly was no other time to act than now. "The creature's size is great… once he hath forced its true form; thou will have n-no… trouble… finding the angel…"

"Well that's comforting," Serene said sarcastically. Sure, she'd have no trouble finding Izzy, but she was holding onto the hope that the creature wouldn't turn out to be quite as big as she had imagined… unfortunately, she was just never that lucky. "Izzy, just… be safe all right? I'll be back with the others before you know it."

"Yup…" The angel allowed himself a smile, nodding to Serene, who smiled back in return before clutching Vassago and lifting them both up in the air with her wings. He waved silently as the two hovered in the air for a couple of seconds, his gaze locking with hers one more time.

"See ya soon then!"

-----

A/N: Hey guys, it's been a while. Firstly, I'd like to apologize to whoever's still waiting for this chapter to come xD… college can be a total arse sometimes. Don't worry though, I promise that the next one won't take as long to release. It's still mid-terms in my side of the world, so I have to concentrate on that first before I start writing again, but things are looking pretty exciting eh? Royal rumble in the next chapter, that much is certain xD.

Also, the chapter name's based on the tarot card with the same name… I'm also referring to Vassago as the fool (you can wiki him if you like, he's a demon of Solomon), and the card supposedly means the beginning, and is usually depicted as a young man embarking on a new quest. Kinda ironic that he's a blind old man that can see into the past and future of different dimensions, but not that of his own world huh? I think it fits pretty well. Anyway, more on the tarot when the greater demons have been introduced, which will be later on in the story. Also, to those who still haven't guessed what the book is exactly, that'll be in the next chapter :D.

Once again, sorry for the huge delay… and Happy Reading!


	7. The spirit of wrath

To say that the angel had a bad feeling about the current situation was only the very tip of the iceberg. He'd been running in the same direction Vassago had pointed out to him for at least fifteen minutes, and had he not been experiencing a foreboding sense of dread which seemed to only get stronger the farther he went, then he would have long questioned whether or not he was going the right way. Strangely enough, the flora in this trail seemed to be fine despite the horrid state the bearded man and his familiar had left the dead pocket of earth in the middle of the Elendian forests. Still, he was getting anxious, and he had to shake away his thoughts and focus on catching whatever it was he intended to catch before his fears got the better of him.

Instinctively, Issirudor glanced at the unassuming obsidian stone which was nestled in his palm. It certainly looked normal and harmless enough… it was just a smooth, polished pebble, nothing special. Of course, he knew that this stone was at least partly responsible for his unrest; simply holding it seemed to make it difficult for the angel to breathe. But whether the physical effects were all in his head or not, he was more than certain that the scent of death was as strong as ever, which he could only assume meant that it wouldn't be long before he finally caught up. Unfortunately, past experiences have proven that he had a knack for being right when it was in his best interest to be wrong.

As if on cue with his thoughts, his vision suddenly blurred—a dizzying sensation which lasted only a second. Visibly shaken, Issirudor quickly skid to a halt, aware that the sudden imbalance could make for a nasty fall. Moments later, just as he'd recovered from the initial shock the same nauseating wave attacked his senses, lasting a few seconds longer this time around. Shaking his head, he regained his composure once again and found himself looking at the black stone, convinced that it was the culprit. Truth be told he wanted nothing more than to throw it as far away as gravity would allow, but before he even had the chance to fight off the urge to do so, the troublesome rock was gone.

"Huh? What the…" The angel muttered quietly to himself, unable to help but wonder how it could've disappeared when he was looking straight at it. In fact it had happened so quickly that he instinctively scanned the ground in front of him to spot the missing stone, despite knowing that there was no way he could have dropped it. It wasn't too long after when a terrifying chill ran up his spine, the constant throbbing pain which plagued his chest quickly becoming short of intolerable. The stone now the least of his worries, Issirudor grimaced and clutched the invisible wound on his chest, unwanted memories pouring into his mind like a goblet of acid. Once again he could see his humble home ablaze, his family's horrid fate, and the edge of his best friend's spear… a world of pain and sorrow, relived in a mere moment; the angel shut his eyes and fell on his knees, not even able to let out a strangled scream.

But just as his consciousness succumbed to the relentless mental torture, the goddess of youth's ever gentle voice cut through the nightmarish episode like a flash of lightning in total darkness.

_Issirudor, the familiar is poisoning your mind—remember that you are not alone, and free yourself!_

"I'm not alone…" Issirudor repeated, Ydun's voice doing much to revive his focus. Now totally ignorant of the pain on his chest, the angel let mental images of his new friends counter this so-called poison… true enough, he found it tremendously difficult to keep his concentration, as though something was trying to stop him. The goddess of youth was right. None of this could be natural; the familiar was indeed prying into his head. The mere thought of its invasion angered him, encouraging the angel to fight even harder and expel whatever it was out of his mind. _Get out of my head!!!_

And just like that, the madness was over. Inhaling sharply, the angel got back to his feet, assuming a weapon-ready defensive stance his mentor had taught him what seemed like an eternity ago. Of course Asynjur wasn't far behind, the pale green diviner pulsating back to existence, already held firmly in his left hand as though it had never disappeared. Despite the awkwardness he still felt trying to keep the weapon from disappearing, he had to admit that it was quite convenient. He could only imagine what an adept with the diviner was capable of… inevitably he thought of Ein, and how he wished that he and the rest of Elendia's heroes were already here, because to be honest, he didn't feel very confident about holding his own with a weapon he had so little experience with. Actually, he would probably be feeling just as anxious even if he had his trusted cutlass by his side.

_YOU DARE TO SSSUMON ME, WHELP…?_

The strangely hoarse and abrasive voice echoed in his mind, forcing Issirudor to grit his teeth, his whole body becoming tense in response. In some ways, he was relieved that he managed to chase down the familiar as he now had the chance to take back Vassago's book, but at the same time his stomach was in knots as he silently prayed to the gods to keep him safe, a seemingly unbreakable habit he had carried with him even after his fall from Asgard. "You will hand over Vassago's book n—"

The angel was interrupted by a terrible roar, which engulfed the forest in a black seeping energy that seemed to melt away most of the trees in the surrounding area. Eyes wide as saucers, he tightened his stance in alarm, perfectly aware that any single moment from here on in could be his last if he wasn't careful… the only advantage he knew he had was that his location would be quite easy for Serene and the others to spot now. "Show yourself…!"

_I SSSMELL YOUR TERROR, ANGEL… MARK MY WORDSSS… I WILL KILL YOU SSSLOWLY…_

"I said, show yourself!!!" Issirudor raised his voice in an effort to drown out the sense of despair which sought to overwhelm him, hoping that the familiar underestimated him enough not to attack without materializing first. He didn't want to admit it, but that scenario was quite possibly the only chance he had of surviving. He wasn't even sure if the black stone had worked… for all he knew the familiar had taken it. Lacking any kind of confidence whatsoever, the angel put on his bravest façade and let out a shaky breath. This was it.

_SSSSSSO BE IT!!!_

The next several seconds that followed was like something out of a dream… reality had been forcefully torn a gaping hole several yards in front of him, with a single yellow orb appearing high above the mess of dark colors; its bloodlust gaze effortlessly piercing through the angel. Soon, the entangled pieces of energy began to take on a physical form, and the orb was now surrounded by a mass of scale and bone. Gutturally, it pieced itself together like a disturbingly terrifying puzzle, taking the shape of a reptile of sorts, at least two stories tall and about the same width—the gods knew how long it was. Almost immediately he remembered the creature in his vision, and the drops of sweat that poured from his brow were ice cold. The orb—which turned out to be its eye, pulsated with a vivid glow as the familiar finally materialized completely, exactly the same behemoth from his nightmare… however, the creature in front of him had long open wounds all over its body, and its left eye appeared to have been ripped cleanly out. Remembering Vassago's words, the shock registered on his face soon after. _Vassago did this? How…?_

But just because the familiar was wounded, didn't make it any less intimidating… in fact now the angel was more anxious than ever, considering the gargantuan alligator didn't seem at all fazed by its grievous wounds. His sensitive spirit could feel the deep-rooted, inconsolable anger that it harbored towards Riviera and all living things… it truly was the abomination of a powerful demon. So, how could Vassago possibly be on their side? This wasn't really the time or place to ponder such a question, so Issirudor shoved all of his doubts aside and channeled his mentor's teachings, calmly waiting for the first move.

He didn't have to wait very long.

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Six – "The spirit of wrath."**

Enraged, the beast used its massive front legs to push its entire body forward in a short burst of startling speed. Fortunately, the angel wasn't completely taken by surprise… having devised a small plan based on what he had observed and reacting just a split-second quicker, his free hand had taken hold of his leather coat just as the alligator landed a few feet in front of him, enveloping the angel in a cloud of black ash. Knowing it could clearly see the pale green glow of Asynjur, Issirudor stripped off his coat and hurled it along with his diviner to the creature's right as hard as he could, using the ash as a means of escaping in the opposite direction—which he hoped would be the familiar's blindside.

Thankfully, the gamble didn't backfire. Its single eye picking up the movement of the coat and Asynjur's glow, the creature's head turned to the right, followed by an insane demonstration of agility as its jaw snapped at the coat in mid-air. It seemed as though the battle was over then and there, but the satisfying taste of blood and gore did not reach the familiar's tongue, and the glowing weapon had vanished as well.

_This is it…!_ Hissing out a breath, Issirudor felt Asynjur's warm energy return to his hand and—letting the adrenaline fuse with his body—wasted no more time as he ran towards the familiar and leapt as high as he could, digging his divine blade deep into its giant eyeless socket. The bellowing roar that followed was even stronger than the last, and the ground shook in testament to that fact. For a fleeting moment, the angel allowed himself the naïve possibility that he had managed to best the familiar… he was wrong.

_DIVINERRR…!_

The voice screamed into his mind, distracting him for a split-second; more than enough to spell disaster. Without warning, Issirudor suddenly found himself falling off of the creature, having been forcefully rammed by the side of its rock hard head. Getting his wind back, the angel shook off the initial shock and landed on all fours, the ash doing well to soften an otherwise painful fall. However, he was too slow to notice the monster twisting itself in the opposite direction, and by the time he had recovered, its gigantic reptilian tail was already seconds away from a fatal collision.

His instincts taking him over, the angel jumped backwards in a desperate attempt to dull some of the impact, raising his forearms to take the brunt of the blow. Before he knew it the tail smashed against his body, its raw power throwing him more than two dozen feet away to a less than perfect landing.

"Ungh…!" A sharp pain shot through his right arm as he rolled and scrambled back to his feet, now aware that his wrist was sprained… possibly broken. Gingerly placing his exposed left hand on the injured area, Issirudor forced minute amounts of healing energy onto his wrist in a rapid pace, focusing as hard as he could in order to finish the job quicker. Letting go seconds later, he slowly moved his right hand in a circle, noting that there was still a lot of pain despite the healing, but at least it wasn't as stiff. His attention never leaving the familiar, Asynjur reappeared once more, the angel now aware that the creature was being surprisingly cautious now, its eye glaring at him menacingly. _It's felt the diviner's touch before…_

_I HAVE UNDERESSSTIMATED YOU WHELP… BUT YOU WILL NOT BE SSSO FORTUNATE THIS TIME…_

The angel said nothing, simply wiping the dripping sweat off his brow and returning to his defensive stance—but in truth, he didn't have the slightest idea what to do. The only thing he was counting on was that it would get even angrier, but though it certainly was that, rather than becoming even more reckless, it wised up and became cautious, ruining his chances of winning altogether. It didn't seem likely that it would fall for the same trick either, and even then the coat was his only means of distraction. Not to mention he couldn't risk throwing Asynjur again because it just might end up ignoring the weapon; effectively getting him killed. _Ugh, guess there's only one thing I can do at a time like this…_

Now filled with an intense seething hatred, the familiar took a step forward—but just as it was about to lunge again, it suddenly realized that the angel had broken into a mad dash, clearly eager to make the first move. Caught slightly off-guard by the bold display of confidence, the giant alligator relented; opting to wait albeit impatiently for the angel to get close enough to kill in one clean bite.

His mind working overtime, Issirudor tried his best to think of a plan as he sprinted towards the familiar, but the further he closed in on his target the less sense he was able to make of things. However, just as he was about to step in range of the monster's unworldly bite, his make-shift cyan shirt made an involuntary twitch… and that was when it hit him. He had never really thought about using his single wing ever since the other had been forcefully taken. It wasn't like he was good at flying even when he still had both of them, but maybe in this situation… _All right… I know we've had our differences, but please… don't fail me now!_

Reacting on pure instinct, the alligator mercilessly snapped its massive jaws in the angel's direction, its teeth smashing furiously against each other in a guttural echo that easily spread across the distance. However, due to the fact that its bite felt almost no resistance even against the toughest of metal substances, the familiar was all but convinced that the angel was dead… at least, for the first second or two. Once again it could not taste the blood, and sure enough, its eye caught the angel having somehow dodged to its right, amazingly still in one piece. To make matters even more confusing, this time he had some sort of leaf-like appendage protruding from his back. The familiar growled in frustration, not allowing itself to be distracted as it raised its front leg, poised to smash the angel to the ground.

Still unable to believe that his wing had actually proven itself to be useful, Issirudor almost didn't see the familiar's next attack. Quickly skidding to a halt, he jumped away from the monster to avoid the blow, but knew that he'd acted too late and wouldn't be able to cover enough ground to escape the giant foot… at least, not with his legs. Focusing as hard as he could, the angel flapped his wing forward with such strength that he was unable to balance himself as the move hurled him further backwards; the familiar's leg pulverizing the ground and causing another cloud of ash to shoot up, ultimately aiding the angel in recovering from the awkward jump. However, instead of attempting to escape from its field of vision once again, he thrust Asynjur as hard as he could near the joint of the familiar's attacking limb, realizing he had made a big mistake when the alligator's rough reptilian skin proved to be at least a hundred times more durable than the eyeless socket he had dug the diviner into only moments before.

_FOOL!!!_

Having only a split second to follow-up on his offensive, Issirudor quickly grabbed hold of the familiar's front leg with his right hand, using it along with a single flap of his wing to propel him upwards as he attempted to climb onto its back. Angered by his resilience, the alligator attempted to throw the angel off by viciously shaking the aforementioned limb, but Issirudor managed to hold on—though not without consequence. He was forced to drop the diviner as he instinctively used both hands to grip its rock-hard skin, the green blade disappearing before it hit the ground. With one great heave and another flap of his wing, Issirudor was finally able to get onto its back before long, the fury evident in the creature's restless stance.

_There has to be something, anything, _The angel thought as he stubbornly kept his balance, crawling to the middle from the edge of its back, his eyes darting left and right as he searched for a weak point… which was really any spot where he could stab his diviner all the way through. He had already considered its other eye, but at the moment it was far too aware, and any attempt would probably get him maimed or killed. However, thanks to what he could only assume had been Vassago's earlier efforts, he spotted a long cut just below the back of its head… it wasn't a deep wound, but with the skin ripped open like that, it wouldn't be difficult to drive his diviner into it and possibly cause some real damage.

Unfortunately for him, the giant alligator wasn't about to just lie there, instead opting to do something the angel couldn't expect. With a defiant low growl, it bent to its right before suddenly using the same limbs to vault in the opposite direction, intent on performing a barrel roll. Once again, the move happened so fast that the angel barely had time to react, his chances of avoiding it thrown unceremoniously out the window.

However, before getting crushed between the monster's back and the ground, Issirudor did the only thing he could think of—he made a desperate leap toward the familiar's wound and landed on his stomach, using all of his weight to force the blade through the vulnerable point right before the giant alligator rolled upside down.

It lasted no more than a second; the familiar quickly getting back upright as though it were the most nimble thing in the world. But a second was more than enough to significantly injure the angel, who lay motionless on the ground.

The familiar, having turned to face its prey and seeing his broken body, let out a prideful roar as it reveled in its victory. Due to the ash, the ground had absorbed most of its weight, so he wasn't dead. But it had never truly intended to kill him in the first place… at least, not quickly. Pleased by the sudden turn of events, the familiar glared at the angel, in no rush to end his life.

_YOU SSSTOOD NO CHANCE FROM THE BEGINNING… NOW, WHELP, I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU WISH YOU NEVER EXISSS… _

The gargantuan alligator trailed off as it gradually began to feel a stinging sensation from its upper back. Clearly agitated, it shook its body left and right in an attempt to relieve the pain, but whatever it was just seemed to become more intense as the seconds passed by. Growling hoarsely, it shook more violently in response, but that seemed to only worsen what it felt, which in that moment was as though the back of its head was being cooked by burning hot lava.

Unbeknownst to the suffering familiar, the angel's silver eyes betrayed the rest of his body. Wide and focused as they could be, his vision was narrowed into the single point where he had plunged his weapon, trying his very best to keep the diviner in the material world. To put it simply, anyone (or anything) not chosen by the demon slaying weapon would find it nearly impossible to wield due to the diviner being boiling hot to the touch… but it didn't stop there. The diviner was said to be so powerful that so long as it was held by an unworthy being, it would only continue to grow hotter and hotter. In fact, not even the most knowledgeable of scholars in Asgard knew of its limits when it came to that particular aspect. In many ways, its powers were as mysterious as the gods that created them.

But even with such a powerful tool in his possession, he knew that this momentary advantage was only a last gasp. Needless to say he had felt certain things break and get forced out of place when the familiar crushed him with its weight. His entire right arm had numbed, and was so stiff he could barely move his fingers… the pain all around his body was already beginning to register as well, so it was only a matter of time before he lost his focus, and that would be that. The only reason Asynjur hadn't disappeared yet was because being an angel, his training had been more concentrated on mental skills rather than physical… in his condition however, the angel would probably be able to spare just a few more seconds of raw focus at best. It was wishful thinking, but he hoped that this final effort would be enough to cripple the familiar.

_YOU…!!!_

The familiar's voice screamed in agony, howling in the angel's mind as green flames began to spout out of its tortured wound… even a simple step forward was almost impossible as the unworldly heat ravaged its senses, driving the giant alligator to near insanity.

And just when the familiar thought that it could take no more, the searing pain was gone.

Mentally exhausted, Issirudor eyes were shut tight, trying as hard as he could to endure the physical torment that wracked his body as his over-stretched shoulder muscles and broken ribs screamed for relief, the only natural defense against his injuries—numbness—disappearing without a trace. Having used up most of his energy on Asynjur, the angel could barely heal a scratch, so that was out of the question… needless to say, no amount of planning would get him out of this mess. Slowly opening his eyes, he fought the urge to give in with all of his might, rolling to his left side and painfully propping himself up with the only arm that still seemed to be doing what it was told. Physically unable to get to his two feet however, the angel instead pushed himself to his knees and resolutely set his eyes on the monster, his steely gaze the only testament to his unbroken will.

Having recovered from its prey's final attack, the gigantic alligator was literally shaking the ground in anger… but, for some reason it couldn't help but be eerily fascinated with the persistence of the angel, a simple acknowledgement which bordered unrealistically on respect. Of course, that didn't change his fate… he was going to die. Only this time, when the angel was dead, the familiar would feel satisfaction at having killed a decent opponent; something it had never thought possible when it first laid eyes on the whelp. Making the first move, the familiar took a heavy step forward, the black ash turning into a small cloud under its feet… but after a few seconds of stillness, the creature suddenly growled in shock, finding itself unable to move its back legs. Without warning, its joints buckled and—unable to withstand its own weight, the familiar's lower body fell to the ground, completely paralyzed. The angel's weapon had done far more damage than it had originally thought.

Issirudor let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as the familiar thrashed furiously, seemingly unable to accept its current condition. Attempting to use the momentary distraction to his advantage, he tried to stand again, only to have a jolt of mind-numbing pain rush up from his left foot. Catching himself with his uninjured hand before he landed face first into the ash, the angel sighed as he balanced himself, more than aware that his ankle was useless. Pushing himself back to his knees, the angel grit his teeth, trying to stop himself from shaking in pain as he anxiously awaited his fate.

_DAMN YOU, ANGEL!!!_

Getting control of its seething rage for the first time since it could remember, the gargantuan alligator fixated its obsessive gaze on the angel, realizing that if it didn't kill him now, then anything was possible. No longer caring whether its back legs were still capable of moving or not, the familiar used all of its strength to drag itself forward, carrying its dead weight as it wasted no more time savoring the kill. Unfortunately, its realization had come far too late… and it was far too distracted to even feel the fast, nimble steps that started from its tail, all the way to its head.

What it did feel however, was the pointed edge of a great scythe forcing itself deep into the creature's giant snout.

"Eat this you over-grown lizard!" Serene—having arrived just in time—let go of her scythe which was still imbedded onto the familiar and leapt, kicking as hard as she could as she landed on the head of her weapon, causing it to fall even deeper into the alligator's snout, once again grabbing hold of the scythe's grip as her eyes quickly glanced in front of the familiar in an effort to spot her real goal. Sure enough, the angel was there, but she had to keep herself from gasping out loud at the sight of his current condition. "Izzy! Just hang in there and—"

Not taking kindly to the arc's attack, the familiar retaliated by opening its mouth wide and in such a brutally quick fashion that it managed to catch Serene off-guard, forcing her to let go of the scythe as she was vaulted backwards into the air. Under normal circumstances, an awkward fall from that height would've been dangerous and potentially fatal, but Serene made sure that she never hit the ground; catching herself in the air with a mighty flap of her wings. _No way! You're not getting rid of me that easy!_

Completely ignoring its new attacker, the crazed familiar closed its jaw and brought its attention back to the angel, growling in shocked anger when it noticed that its prey was no longer there. The familiar's head darting left and right in quick succession, it spotted the injured angel beside two female sprites; the small one sporting two pigtails and the other completely dressed in scarlet. It took less than a second for it to realize that they were trying to get away, and even less than that for the creature to snap. With a roar of pure animalistic fury, it seized its half-paralyzed body with the strength of its front legs, somehow still managing to sprint towards the three despite its crippled state.

"W-why'd it roar, did it see us—WAAAH IT SAW US!!!" Lina wailed, in a panic (and rightfully so) at the fact that there was an incredibly huge and frightening alligator dragging itself in an unbelievable speed towards them—she had been scared enough when it was just standing still. Worst of all, she couldn't run as fast as she wanted to because they needed to be especially careful with Izzy, what with his legs being in the shape they were… not to mention he was almost as heavy as Ein. "Cierra please be done making that now!!!"

"Oh my," The witch in question muttered distractedly, now quite pressured as she attempted to get the amount of energy just right in her experimental fireball—more than enough to pack a punch, but just enough that it didn't hinder Lina's arrow. She wasn't exactly the most capable when it came to multi-tasking, and the fact that she had to half-carry a barely conscious angel, all the while running from a rampaging familiar wasn't exactly helping her concentration. Thankfully, her efforts weren't in vain as she was lucky enough to cut off the energy flowing from her fingertips to her staff right before it became too volatile. Holding her breath, the scarlet witch took most of Issirudor's weight so that Lina could move a little more freely and—turning back as much as she could and pointing her ruby staff toward the crazed alligator—prepared to launch her experimental attack. "Done…!"

Lina's expression tightened as she let go of the angel and—almost in a blur, turned into a crouching position to face the familiar, already wielding her bow which sported a nocked arrow; aimed and perfectly ready to shoot. "Lina's ready!"

"Here goes!" Cierra exclaimed, letting the energy in her palm explode which in turn launched the fireball out of her ruby staff and straight towards the alligator. If this worked the way they had planned it to, then the seething ball of energy should have just enough juice to explode on impact, if and only if paired with the speed of her friend's arrow. All she could do now was trust the little archer's ability (as well as her own).

Sure enough Lina unleashed her arrow with the precision and pin-point accuracy of a veteran hunter, aimed just the slightest bit lower than Cierra's fireball in order to catch it in mid-air. Before they left Elendia, Claude had endowed the very same arrow with the ability to absorb flame to an extent, and using it to gain momentum in the air, so she only had one chance to get it right. The little girl's heart caught in her throat as it finally made contact with the fireball and seemingly merged together. "Yes!"

After which, it exploded into a useless mass of burning arrow particles.

"…Huh?" Lina said softly, a befuddled look on her face. Even the familiar seemed to have stopped, cautiously expecting something from the useless explosion. Slowly turning her gaze to Cierra, she noticed that the witch was staring blankly at her bolt bag. Lo and behold, amidst all of her regular arrows was one that was clearly glowing red… and it didn't take a genius to realize where exactly things had gone wrong. "W-wrong arrow… Cierra, wrong arrow! Lina used the wrong arrooow!!!"

"Yes, I'm aware of that…"

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Six – Closure…**

_I WILL BREAK, ALL OF YOU…!_

Now convinced that the explosion had done and would do absolutely no harm to it, the familiar forcefully blew out a small buildup of blood in its wounded snout which had obstructed its breathing, and tensed its front legs once again. However, before it could attempt to drag itself towards the hapless three to finish them off, a sharp and terrible pain invaded its senses.

Dropping herself right on top of the scythe once again, Serene used all of her weight and momentum to drive it so deep inside the giant alligator that it actually managed to break through the roof of its mouth and jam itself between the familiar's front teeth.

Growling in agony, the behemoth attempted to get rid of the persistent arc the same way it had done before, but the pain was such that it couldn't seem to exert its tired jaw muscles any further. So instead, it shook its head as violently as it could… no luck however, as its attacker had a vice-like grip on her weapon this time around, and the familiar's actions seemed to be successful only in causing itself more pain as every little movement the jammed scythe made was torture. No longer having a choice, it simply ignored the arc, once again dragging itself forward as it went after its original target.

"Almost finished," Cierra said, infinitely thankful for her bat-winged friend's assistance. The familiar was moving again, but at least Serene managed to buy them enough time for just one more crack at their experimental maneuver. Stopping the flow of energy from her fingertips at more or less the right moment, she pointed her staff at the familiar and—without hesitation—shot her second fireball. "Lina!"

"Okay!" The little archer made sure she let loose the right arrow this time, the red bolt piercing the air as it again made contact with the fireball. Fortunately no explosions followed, with the two projectiles fully merging in an artistic splash of orange; the result being a small comet which closed in on the familiar much faster than either had initially expected. The creature literally had no time to react as the destructive arrow smashed against the area where Serene's scythe was lodged, causing such impact that it threw both the arc and her weapon off of the familiar and destroyed at least four of its pointed teeth—ripping apart a small area of its snout.

"We hit it," Cierra couldn't help but smile, wondering how much more the monster could take before it was finally defeated. But whatever relief she may have felt at that moment quickly disappeared when her peripheral vision caught a large chunk of the familiar's teeth heading straight for Lina. She immediately considered pulling the little girl to safety herself, but it would be far too difficult since she was already single-handedly supporting Issirudor and holding her staff at the same time. "Lina watch out!"

Lina, who had been grinning at the witch the whole time and was therefore unable to see what was coming her way, heeded Cierra's warning and looked back towards the familiar in confused alarm. Too shocked to dodge, the girl simply brought her fore-arms up and shut her eyes in a desperate defense, barely able to hear the witch call her name again.

But the moment she dreaded never came.

A strange slicing sound followed by a small series of thumps and thuds invaded the girl's senses, and the lack of any kind of pain whatsoever made her curious, but not enough to check and see.

"Sorry I'm late… you guys okay?"

"EIN!" Lina opened her eyes as soon as she recognized the voice, ready to both hug and brutally maim the grim angel for arriving at the last minute, but stopped short as she instead saw the angel they were supposed to be protecting with his back facing her; standing straight yet seemingly ready to fall at any second. It was definitely Ein's voice she had heard; in fact he was right in front of Issirudor, Einherjar in hand but… what was the injured angel doing? Had he tried to protect her as well? _Why…?_

"That was a little too close," Cierra breathed out a sigh of complete and utter relief, quickly holding onto Issirudor just as his battered knees buckled. She didn't even see him move in to save Lina… his diviner hadn't materialized either, so she assumed he was willing to take the blow for her friend. To think, if Ein hadn't appeared the way he did… "Am I glad to see you… but what took you so long, Ein?"

"I was ambushed by demons, and I didn't want to risk delaying Issirudor's rescue any further by calling for help," Ein said, an apologetic look on his face despite the fact that his gut instinct appeared to have been right. Still, a second or two later and well, he didn't even want to think about what could have happened. A single look at the angel was all he really needed to know that Issirudor was in a world of pain. Truth be told he still had a hard time grasping how all of this had happened, what with Serene's rushed explanation, but that old man's familiar was certainly a very serious threat. "Whatever that monster is, it's somehow waking up the hostile spirits that didn't rise with the Accursed… if we don't defeat it soon, things could get ugly."

"Nothing's ever easy is it…?" The scarlet witch said thoughtfully, placing her staff under her arm and patting away the black ash on her clothes. Most if not all of the demons just outside Elendia's barrier had already been vanquished thanks to the efforts of Ladie, Claude and Soala among others, but it seemed as though everyone still had quite a long way to go. _Oh well… one step at a time._ "So what's the plan, Ein?"

"I'm a bit worried about those demons… Cierra, I need you to stay with Issirudor and keep away from the battle," Ein said, now completely used to his role as the leader. He could have definitely used her powerful fire magic, but with the angel in the state he was, he just couldn't risk leaving him without any protection. "Also, if there's anything you can give him for his injuries…"

"Don't worry, I have some potions here," The witch in question nodded, never doubting her good friend's judgment. His decisions have gotten them through so many battles that she had difficulty imagining anyone else leading the party. "It won't mend broken bones, but it'll provide some relief. Actually, I might be able to do something about his shoulder…"

"Okay, good," Ein smiled, trusting Cierra completely. She was surprisingly capable when it came to treating the body, despite her lack of any healing magic. That being said, Fia would have been better suited for this, but she needed to stay in Elendia and work together with Claude if there was going to be any hope of treating the dying old man. Saving the thought for later, he turned to Lina, who looked like she was burning holes in Issirudor's back with her blank stare. "Lina, are you all right? You're not hurt are you?"

"H-huh? Oh, no… Lina's okay," The little girl looked away in embarrassment, a pout forming on her face. Unable to pinpoint exactly what she was feeling, she shook it off for the moment and brought all of her attention to Ein, a determined look in her eyes. "What do you want Lina to do?"

"Cover me, and keep a reasonable distance without straying too far okay? Watch out for any demons that might try to attack us from behind, and be sure to call for help when they do," The grim angel stated, clearly not wanting any harm to come to Lina. She was an excellent archer and a very useful companion, but he was always worried about her physical well-being, as her fragile frame wasn't built to withstand any serious blows. Looking back at the battle, Ein instinctively cringed as Serene was forcefully rammed by the side of the familiar's head, though she had been able to block most of its impact with her scythe. "All right, Serene won't be able to deal with that thing by herself for long… everyone know what to do?"

"Yup!"

"Yes… good luck you two."

"Okay then…" Ein nodded, brandishing Einherjar and tensing his body, physically and mentally ready to take on the injured behemoth. "Let's go!"

-----

A/N: Once again, it's been quite a while. And once again, I'd like to apologize for the long wait -_-. It's becoming more and more difficult to find time to write this thing, and whenever I do I'm not always up to it… it's not that I've lost the passion to write this story, I guess I just got a bit bored of writing in general. But everyone knows that feeling, and it's always just temporary since I always go back to writing anyway.

Of course, I can't say that writing this wasn't fun. It was a ton of fun actually (I love fight scenes), and I intend to write at least a hundred more chapters in the foreseeable future xD. It's just, we all have a life yeah? Don't worry though, I feel like I'm gaining some momentum, and I'll probably get started on the next chapter after I enroll for college, which should be in a day or two.

So! I hope to see you guys again in the next chapter and, you guessed it, Happy Reading xD


	8. Wrath's end

"U-ungh!"

"Please, try to relax…" Cierra pleaded with a gentle tone, though more to herself than the pallid angel who lay shaking in front of her. Having moved a reasonable distance away from the main battle—though not enough that she wouldn't be able to observe her friends and provide support in case things didn't go their way—the witch looked around, making doubly sure that there were no demons headed their way. She had let Issirudor lie with his back to the ground because it was an ideal position to treat the most immediate threat, which was his dislocated right shoulder. Fortunately, the way it had gone out of place was generic and the easiest to treat. "I need to do something about your shoulder. It'll be painful… but everything will be okay, I promise."

Unable to voice out an answer, the angel simply nodded in reply, trying to follow the witch's advice and relaxing his body… at least, parts of it he could still voluntarily control. Barely managing to keep his eyes open, Issirudor endured the gut-wrenching pain his overstretched shoulder muscles suffered as he tried to keep awake… but he just couldn't get himself to stop shaking no matter how hard he tried.

"All right, let's begin," The scarlet witch calmed herself with a deep breath, having already knelt down to the angel's right, ready to do what she needed to. Being as cautious as she could possibly be, Cierra took hold of the angel's fore-arm, slowly lifting and allowing it to bend, so that it was flexed at the elbow, the aforementioned limb pointing upwards. The angel's fingers twitched in response, causing her to look into his pained eyes… with a sympathetic smile, she used her free hand to wipe some of the sweat from his brow in an attempt to help him relax. "Take deep breaths, Izzy."

Not surprisingly, the angel did as he was told, his obedience proof of the trust he had for his new friends. He was also aware of the fact that this was probably the point where it was supposed to hurt quite a bit, as the witch's vivid expressions seemed like an open book on the matter.

Now fully concentrated on treating the injury, Cierra held Issirudor's fore-arm with both hands and—slowly but surely—rotated the fore-arm away from his body. She didn't need to look at the angel's face to know how much this simple action was hurting him… in fact she tried her best not to as she felt his body tremble and heard hushed moans as she slowly brought his fore-arm down. But she also knew that the pace needed to be slow; otherwise the injury would just end up getting far worse. Steeling her shaky resolve, Cierra continued the action until it was almost touching the black ash, stopping short as soon as she felt resistance… and with a gentle yet sure approach usually seen in only the most experienced of healers, she slid her hand under his flexed elbow, and lifted.

"Urgh…!" The angel almost screamed out in agonizing shock as what could perhaps have been the most uncomfortably painful sensation he had ever felt spread across his body like wildfire. Biting his lower lip, Issirudor shut his eyes and tried his very best not to resist Cierra's efforts… but even with his inhuman focus, he was unable to stop the rest of his body from tightening up in pain.

"Just a little more Izzy," The scarlet witch reassured, fighting off the urge to stop as she lifted his elbow as high as the injury could allow. Truth be told she could only imagine how painful the ordeal was… but at the very least, it was almost over. Keeping his elbow in the same position, Cierra calmly began rotating his fore-arm back to his body at a faster pace; though not enough that it would endanger the angel. Emotionally shielding herself from the groans of pain that seemed to increase in pitch the further she bent the fore-arm, her efforts were finally rewarded as she felt his shoulder pop back into place, the angel's body jerking one final time before his head fell to the soft ground. "Oh my… feeling better?"

"Y-yes… thank you," Issirudor panted, a torrent of relief flooding his injured shoulder, yet he couldn't seem to open his heavy eyelids. All things considered, he was still in a lot of pain as his broken ribs and ankle throbbed and ached… but because of the instant relief his relocated shoulder was able to provide, the urge to sleep was growing stronger every second. "I'm a little tired…"

"I know… but you can't sleep just yet, okay? It's too dangerous right now," Cierra smiled softly, trying not to feel terrible for barring him from some much needed rest. There was no going around the fact that if he fell asleep now then they would be in big trouble if demons suddenly attacked. Instinctively, the witch had another look around as the chances of that happening were rather high, considering what Ein had said… fortunately there were still no hostile demons in sight, at least for the moment. Returning her attention to Issirudor, the witch used the right slit of her skirt to aid in lifting it slightly, revealing four vials containing a glowing green substance strapped onto her upper thigh. Quickly removing two of them with a grace the witch rarely showed, she pulled both corks off and offered a vial to the angel. "These potions will help ease the pain and give you some of your strength back. Come on now, be good and drink up."

"Okay…" Letting out an exhausted sigh, the angel forced his eyes open and rolled the slightest bit to his left, using his good arm to get himself into a sitting position. Looking back at the witch, he let out a tired yet grateful smile and gently took the potion from her hand—obediently drinking the contents of the vial. The liquid was thick, yet easy to swallow, and very cold… he couldn't quite tell what it tasted like, only that it made him realize how thirsty he was. In fact before he knew it, he had already finished both potions, the cold substance doing well to help him regain his focus and ignore the pain. Thoughts of the giant familiar returning; the angel instinctively tried to stand again, but realized too late that the potion was unable to mend his ankle. Fortunately, Cierra was there to keep him from falling on his face. "Ah, ouch…"

"You know, it's good that you aren't too heavy," The scarlet witch giggled, trying her best to relieve the tension. But despite that, her mind still wandered to her friends and their battle with the familiar. From what she could see, they seemed to be getting the best of the injured behemoth… she noticed that Issirudor was observing the battle as well, an unreadable expression on his face. "Don't worry Izzy, they'll be fine."

"...I know," Issirudor nodded, unable to take his eyes away from his new friends' organized assault. It was mesmerizing, to say the least… like watching the seemingly endless ocean of Asgard crashing against the jagged rocks of its shores. Every move was like water, every attack the follow-up of another. They truly were the heroes of Riviera… such trust and natural coordination could only have been attained through a tremendous amount of grueling experience. "You guys really are amazing."

"Well… we're all just doing our best right? That's all we can really hope for," Cierra blushed, smiling brightly at the angel. To be perfectly honest, she had no idea how Issirudor had been able to cause that much damage to the familiar alone. In fact she was about to say something along those lines when the ground suddenly shook. It was subtle—ending almost as soon as it began—but it was obvious that there was something very wrong… "Did you feel that?"

"Huh? Feel what?" The angel asked, his question answered when the ground shook again, this time much stronger than the last. A sense of alarm overwhelming him, he caught the witch's ruby staff already glowing clear crimson and realized that the ground wasn't shaking under their feet… it was shaking all around them. Instinctively, the angel turned and limped behind Cierra, Asynjur hissing back to life. "Is something coming…?"

"It's possible… be strong Izzy, I know I can count on you," The scarlet witch stated, ready to defend against whatever it was that dared to attack them. But instead of what she was expecting to happen, the ground simply stopped shaking. Several seconds passed, and still nothing. Sighing in relief, she considered checking the rest of Issirudor's wounds and injuries when the sounds of something bursting out of the ashes behind her invaded the witch's senses. Caught off guard, she quickly turned her head to see Issirudor eyeing a demon she had never seen before. It was jet black; with a horned, skinny frame and almost no features… like a shadow, with piercing yellow eyes. _What is that?!_

The angel brought Asynjur to a battle-ready stance, successfully ignoring the pain his body was still suffering. However, realizing that his right arm was still far too weak to provide any additional support to his weapon, Issirudor knew that his mind needed to be twice as fast if there was to be any hope of overcoming his torpid state. Having focused all of his attention on what was in front of him; he couldn't help but notice that it wasn't attacking… like it was waiting for something. But just as the realization finally kicked in, the demon suddenly lunged forward, its black claws eager to let blood. "Cierra, more are coming!"

_Of course! _Quickly heeding Issirudor's warning, Cierra looked back right before the very same kind of demon burst out of the ground in front of her, its dreadful yellow eyes almost paralyzing the witch in fear. Fortunately, that wasn't the case as before the demon could even raise its long clawed arms to attack, Cierra had already thrusted her ruby staff to its head—having failed to notice the energy in her fingertips spiking until it was already too late. "Oh my—"

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Seven – "Wrath's end."**

Dropping nimbly on the ground as she successfully dodged another one of the familiar's violent bites, Serene hissed out a breath, tensed her legs and swung her great scythe forward in a vertical swipe, the curved blade headed straight for its wounded snout. The behemoth—perfectly aware of its glaring weakness—was still agile enough to move its head away before the scythe could even graze it, the arc's weapon crashing to the ground in a vicious scar. Silently cursing the familiar's persistence, Serene decided to stay on the offensive, but before she could make another move her pointed ears picked up the booming sound of an explosion far away.

_What the heck was that…?_ Momentarily distracted, the arc turned her head to the general direction of the explosion, but a cloud of black ash obstructed her view. Just as she was about to return her attention to the familiar however, a pale green light flashed faintly through the ash and Serene's eyes widened. Ein had told her only moments before that Cierra was watching over Issirudor in case demons attacked, so that could only mean… "Cierra! Izzy!—"

"Serene watch out!"

Ein's voice breaking through her train of thought, the arc hesitantly drowned her worries for the moment and turned her head back—only to see the crazed familiar perform another feat of unbelievable strength as it used its front legs to vault its entire body forwards, fully intent on crushing the arc like a bug. Having almost no time to react Serene pushed on the grip of her weapon in an attempt to remove her scythe from the ground in the fastest way possible but; realizing that there truly was no time, turned and jumped forward in a desperate leap for safety, all the while flapping her wings as hard as she possibly could. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as she could clearly see the monster's shadow still looming over her in the ash. _Oh crud…!_

Less than a second later the arc felt the ground tremble as the raging familiar finally fell, hearing a powerful snap as its body crashed violently against hers… but before she could feel any pain, the weight was suddenly lifted, and a guttural roar pierced her eardrums. Acting entirely on instinct, the arc's adrenaline pumped body shot forward to get away from the giant alligator, the befuddling question of how exactly she survived only entering her mind after the arc blindly ran into the arms of an anxious grim angel.

"Serene are you hurt?!" Ein said worriedly, looking into his friend's confused eyes. From what he could see, there didn't seem to be anything wrong… she looked shaken, but completely alert. Even so, he didn't want to make any assumptions, the grim angel's hand already reaching into his pouch for a potion.

"Huh? I… no, I'm okay," Serene shook her head in reply, though she wasn't too sure herself. In fact the only limbs that seemed to hurt were her wings, and even that was only a little sore. Her thoughts returning to the fateful moment, Serene remembered hearing a distinct snapping sound as the monster landed and checked her arms and legs for injuries, finding nothing wrong. Looking back at the familiar in confusion, her heart fell as she realized the cause for the snapping sound.

Her scythe—broken in two by the behemoth, was now awkwardly lodged under its head.

"Well, all right," The grim angel nodded, not entirely convinced as he gave her the vial of healing liquid anyway, just in case. He knew that the more things continued to drag on like this, the less of a chance they would have of winning… and the fact that those strange demons have already started attacking meant that they would have to finish the behemoth now, or be forced to retreat when the demons finally overwhelm them. As if on cue with his thoughts, Einherjar flashed to life in his right hand, glowing much brighter than usual. _It's hurt… we have to end this battle now while there's still time. _"That's a big relief… Lina?"

"Ein!" The little archer responded a few feet away, having shot an arrow through the slowly diminishing billow of ash and into the head of a demon who was about to sink its claws into the scarlet witch. Cierra responded by waving gratefully, before pointing her ruby staff at another demon nearby, a smaller cloud of black ash forming as she incinerated the living shadow. "Demons are coming outta the ground…"

"I know, and there'll be a lot more pretty soon, which is why I need you here okay? You two stay close."

"Oh, okay… Serene you look a little pale, did that alligator hurt you?" Lina asked, having been too caught up in aiding Cierra and Issirudor to see what happened to the arc.

"Nah," Serene said softly, absent-mindedly pocketing the potion. It was strange… that monster of a lizard had certainly been heavy enough to crush both the arc and her scythe, though thanks to the latter, the familiar didn't stay on her for long. Recalling the runic protection spell on her pendant, the arc gasped as she remembered the witch and the angel's predicament. Quickly scanning the area, she found Cierra locked in a battle against two of those weird shadow demons, and to make matters worse Issirudor was nowhere to be found. _Argh, if only I had my scythe!_ "Ein, Cierra and Izzy need our help… what do we do?"

"…I really hope those two can hold off a little while longer, because here it comes," Ein stated, quickly unsheathing a curved dagger from his belt and handing it to Serene. The familiar, now completely furious over its wounds let out a blood-curdling roar, more than ready to finish the battle as it strode dangerously towards the three, shaking with murderous intent. "Lina, when I give the signal, shoot it in the eye. Serene, protect Lina in case a demon attacks—we have to end this now."

"Will do…" Serene nodded, taking a few practice swings with the grim angel's dagger. It wasn't her scythe, but it would have to do. She could only hope that Cierra and Issirudor still had the energy to keep fighting, because no matter how much she wanted to help, Ein and Lina needed her, and the witch was just too far away to aid from here. _Darn it, where the heck are you Izzy…? Ugh, you had better be okay when this is over._

"Lina won't miss…!" The archer said resolutely, taking stance and raising her bow, having already nocked an arrow aimed directly at the behemoth's eye. It was too bad they didn't have time for Claude to endow any more arrows… off-handedly, she had already thought of a great name for that new move, but since it involved Cierra, she needed the witch's say on the matter as well. _Arrow comet sounds good… maybe fire bullet?_ _Uh-oh, the scary monster's getting really fast…_

"Just a little bit more…" Ein said, holding off Lina's attack as much as he could. The only way he could truly be sure that the arrow would hit was if it was shot just as the familiar readied to snap its jaws—a task easier said than done. Without saying another word, he broke into a dash toward the giant alligator, raising Einherjar as it shone brighter and brighter in an effort to block the arrow from plain sight… technically, this made it difficult for Lina to see as well, but he trusted the little girl's skill with his life—more than enough to take this gamble. Panting hoarsely, the familiar's jaw twitched, and Ein saw their chance to finally end this battle once and for all. "Now!"

"Okay—" Lina replied, just a split second from letting her arrow loose when the ground suddenly burst in front of her and one more horned shadow demon jumped into the realm of the sprites, ready to kill the archer where she stood. Quelling her fears with determination, Lina concentrated all of her focus on making the shot; pulling so hard on the bow's string it drew blood. But her efforts weren't in vain as, piercing through the demon's head and Einherjar's light, her arrow found the behemoth's eye. It seemed as though time stood still as the three breathlessly watched what could be their last chance head toward its destination…

Only to dissolve upon impact as the demon's jet black substance melted the arrow's fragile frame.

"No…" Ein's voice died in his throat as the liquid remains of the arrow splashed onto the familiar's eye, succeeding only in distracting it for a split-second before it returned its attention to the grim angel, growling in crazed anger. Picking up speed, the grim angel decided to attack anyway, hoping to buy some time so that the rest would be able to retreat when a figure blurred in the corner of his eye. _What the…_

"Again!" Lina said stubbornly, nocking another arrow and taking careful aim… however, before she was even able to shoot Serene forcefully pushed the archer out of the way; a long black spike missing the sprite by an inch as she fell. Landing awkwardly on her behind, Lina let out a small yelp of pain as her bow slid a few feet away in consequence. "Owie…"

"Sorry," The arc muttered, using her free hand to grab the horned demon by the throat, ignoring the slight burning sensation as she gripped its neck. Calmly locking her leg behind the demon's and—using leverage to take it down—the living shadow's head crashed violently on the ash as Serene finished it off by forcing Ein's dagger deep into its forehead. Her heightened senses could feel that more of these things were going to appear… and since they were unable to carry out the grim angel's last ditch effort, it seemed as though retreat was the only option… but just as she was about to take Lina with her and do so, a strange feeling of warmth emanated from her pendant. _Huh?_

"Serene look, it's Izzy!"

Serene's eyes widened as Lina's words registered into her mind, the arc's gaze following the archer's finger as she pointed back to Ein and the familiar… true enough, she spotted the missing angel just as he had leapt straight toward the giant alligator's eye, the vivid pulse of his misshapen diviner seemingly following the frantic beat of her heart.

Driving Asynjur down with every fabric of his being, Issirudor pierced the familiar's only working eye so deep that his entire left arm had gone in as well. Inevitably, the bellow of agony that followed was so powerful that all of the ash within at least a hundred feet was blown up in the air; creating a dense billow which surrounded the battlefield and blanketed everything in almost total darkness. "Finish it, Ein!"

_ANGEEEL!!!_

"All right!" Ein exclaimed gratefully, trying not to breathe in the surrounding ash as he continued with his original plan—to boldly step into the familiar while its jaws were wide open. Using the green light from Issirudor's diviner as a guide through the temporary darkness, Ein quickly found his way inside the giant's mouth, the firm muscle of its tongue sending shivers up his spine as the grim angel fought to keep his balance. Stopping just short of the behemoth's throat, Ein channeled all of his spiritual energy into Einherjar—a simple yet difficult meditation technique he and Ledah were required to learn before descending to Riviera—the majestic weapon pulsing and seething in response. Calmly emptying his mind of all anxiety, the grim angel called upon the spirit of his diviner to lead Ein in a dance of destruction that had seemingly grown with him as he and his friends survived battle after battle. Granted, he couldn't use it more than once every few hours as it was both physically and mentally exhausting, but this was exactly the kind of situation he had been hoping for… there was no better time to use his best technique than right now.

"This is the will of the gods," The grim angel chanted like a mantra, reversing his grip on the diviner and clutching it with both hands as the blade burned with a righteous yellow flame. The last time he had used this was during the fateful battle with Seth-Rah… he could only hope that he was able to unleash at least half the energy he displayed in that battle, because the only reason he had been able to dig down so deep inside him was the terrible anger he experienced at the very thought of Malice killing…

"Fia," Ein uttered, his eyes narrowing as the same emptiness he felt during that painful moment enveloped him utterly. Raising the diviner like an executioner's axe, he saw the life disappear from her beautiful emerald eyes… and right before the familiar's jaw closed shut in an effort to crush him, Einherjar's spirit exploded.

"_DISARESTA!"_

Issirudor had just managed to remove his arm from the alligator's eye socket—Asynjur dissipating back into nothingness as he did—when the familiar's scaly rock-hard skin began to tremor, causing the angel to let go and fall hard on his back. Catching his breath, Issirudor opened his eyes and painfully tried to lift himself back to his feet, but his injured ankles would have none of it. Realizing he was a sitting duck, the angel quickly returned his attention to the familiar's dark silhouette through the ash, only to stare in awe as a thin streak of golden light escape the familiar—and again… and another… and at least ten more after that, all in different directions and each being thicker than the last.

_Ein?_ The angel thought, still finding it hard to believe as the streaks of light literally ripped the giant shadow apart, the alligator looking as though it would break into pieces as the golden light slashed and pierced its durable skin like a hot knife through butter. Eventually the barrage halted, but just when he thought it was over, a blinding light burst through the back of the familiar's head, taking the shape of a winged creature as it sealed the monster's fate. Finally, the familiar's shadowed frame melted completely in luminescence—creating a powerful shockwave that forced Issirudor to shut his eyes and raise his arms in an effort to cover his face, the ash crashing against his skin as an eerie silence fell upon the ruined pocket of forest.

_Is it over…? _After several seconds of waiting, Issirudor cautiously opened his eyes to find the grim angel looking up at the morning sky; the sun's rays finally reaching the Elendian forest. Strangely enough, feathers which appeared to be made of light were floating all around them, quickly disappearing as it inevitably made contact with the ground. Letting out a sigh of complete and utter relief, the angel let himself fall on his back once again, more than aware of the fact that if he closed his eyes now, he would likely be dead asleep in seconds. "It's over…"

"…Thanks again Izzy," Ein, having walked over to where the angel was smiled sheepishly, more than a little tired himself. Einherjar had long disappeared, and the grim angel doubted he had the energy to bring it out again—at least, for now. He was just glad the battle ended when it did… it also looked like all the other demons have disappeared as well. "You know we couldn't have done this without you."

"Hah… I was just lucky it didn't see me," Issirudor smiled back, too tired to try and stand or even sit. Compared to what he was feeling before Cierra had fixed his shoulder, his broken ribs and injured ankles felt like heaven. The throbbing pain that plagued his chest where his best friend's spear had pierced him also subsided, allowing a rare moment of relief which he didn't plan to spend trying to get to his feet. "How are the others?"

"You could ask them yourself in a second…"

"That was quite a spectacle you two!" The scarlet witch said gleefully, taking a seat beside the angel as she let out a deep breath, her hair and face almost totally covered with black ash from her battle against the horned demons. Removing one of her long thick gloves, Cierra gently placed the back of her hand on Issirudor's forehead, shaking her head in disapproval moments later. "Tsk, you're burning up."

"…Yeah, I'm not really used to this kind of stuff," The angel said tiredly, earning a couple of laughs from his new friends. "I'm just happy I could help."

"Well, it's a good start that's for sure," Ein chuckled, truly impressed with Issirudor's efforts. For someone who was never meant to have a diviner, it certainly looked like it was made for him… though true enough, he needed to teach the angel how to properly unleash his diviner's potential. From what he had been able to observe, Issirudor might have lost most of his divine power, but the grim angel couldn't help but feel as though he had gotten something just as, if not more suitable in return. Saving those thoughts for later, a small grin formed on his face as Serene arrived, having jogged to where they were. "Some fight huh?"

"It's the good ol' days all over again… geez, all this trouble over a stinkin' book," The arc sighed, grinning back as she returned the dagger to Ein. As crazy and frightening as the battle was, she had to admit, it was exhilarating. There really was nothing quite like a close fight. Shifting her attention to the other two, the arc exchanged knowing smiles with Cierra—who looked like she could take a hundred more of those demons if given the chance—and squatted next to the angel, staring thoughtfully into his silver eyes. "Hey."

"Heya," Issirudor replied with a tired smile, their gazes locking once more. If not for the fact that he was barely able to keep himself awake, a deep blush would have already crept onto his cheeks, because despite the ash and dirt that was all over the arc's face, she had never been more beautiful in his eyes. "Are you all right…?"

"Never better," Serene's expression softened at that, suddenly feeling very guilty. He probably wouldn't have gotten so hurt if they had just arrived sooner. "You look terrible… sorry we didn't get here fast enough."

"Don't be… I'm still alive aren't I?" The angel said reassuringly, trying his best to cheer up the flustered arc. She gave him a strange look and nodded in reply, but said nothing, the pout still ever present on her face. Realizing that his words weren't exactly very comforting, the angel resorted to plan B—changing the subject. "How's Lina by the way?"

"Huh, right," Serene muttered, having forgotten about the little archer in all the craziness. Looking back to where she'd last seen her, the arc spotted Lina still sitting on the same spot, her hands completely covering her face. Thoughts of the sprite being hurt immediately entered Serene's mind but—knowing her perhaps a little bit more than either Cierra or Ein… "Lina, you can open your eyes now!"

"…Oh, yay we won!"

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Seven – Closure…**

"Blank," Ein said, more than a tinge of confusion in his voice as he flipped through the pages of a heavy, ancient book, supposedly the one they needed to return to the old man. It made enough sense; the grim angel spotted it near the ground where the familiar perished, right beside Serene's broken scythe. So, what use could the man possibly have for an empty book? "All the pages are blank… this doesn't make any sense. What do you guys think?"

"I think that old man has some explaining to do," Serene growled softly, muttering something under her breath as she and Cierra helped Issirudor back to his feet. It was bad enough that they had risked their lives to take back a book they knew nothing about… but a book with absolutely nothing in it? There was only so much an arc could take. "And there had better be a _very_ good reason for all of this, because if there isn't I swear I'll—"

"Now now Serene, let's not be too hasty," The scarlet witch interrupted the arc in an attempt to diffuse her short temper. Truth be told she was confused as well, but there had to be some sort of trick to it… she could feel a strange, magical essence literally oozing from the book, but whatever it hinted to was definitely hidden from the naked eye. "Perhaps Izzy can make some sense of it?"

"Well, I…" Issirudor started, his voice trailing off as they looked at him expectedly… but he honestly didn't have a clue. Ein held the book in front of him and slowly turned the pages since the angel was holding onto both Cierra and Serene for support… but even then he saw nothing out of the ordinary. It was just as they had said—an old, empty book. In fact he was already half-expecting the goddess of youth to stop time again and hopefully explain things to him, but that didn't seem to be happening. "Sorry, I'm not so sure myself. Maybe if we give it back to Vassago he'll help us read it…"

"But… the guy's blind isn't he?" Serene answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and an awkward silence fell upon not just the angel, but everybody else. The arc couldn't even find it in her to be angry anymore as the situation just became more and more ridiculous—she could practically taste the irony in the air. "Maybe it's just me, but a blind man trying to read out of an empty book is perhaps the saddest thing that's ever come to mind."

"Hey hey, Ein, can Lina see it?"

"Oh, all right… here you go," The grim angel replied, handing Lina the large book. Maybe Issirudor was right, strange as it sounded. It was the old man's book after all… he of all people should know what to do with it. Whatever the current situation was, he was sure he'd get a full explanation from the old man when they got back… Serene's 'Izzy's in trouble, no time to talk, we have to go get a stupid book, also this old man's dying' story didn't exactly bring him up to speed. "Careful, it's heavy."

"Yup," Lina nodded, taking the book and opening it at a random page. Her eyes widening in curiosity, the archer turned to the next page, and then the next, and finally stopped at a particular page, gasping as she did so. "Oh wow, this girl is so pretty…"

Suddenly, all eyes were on the little archer.

"You mean you can read that?" Cierra said, clearly shocked by the sudden turn of events. How was it that the bubbly sprite could read it, and not them?

"Huh? Of course Lina can! See?" The person in question said incredulously, thrusting the book forward so that everyone could have a look. "It's mostly stuff I can't understand but, isn't this girl pretty?"

"This is nuts…" Serene muttered, not entirely convinced. Sometimes the archer liked to play mischievous pranks and, more often than not, the arc was usually in the receiving end. But still, it looked like Lina was genuinely able to read it… though no matter how hard she tried, all the arc could see was a blank page. "Can you really see what's in that thing?"

"Lina already told you she could!" The little sprite pouted, flipping the pages of the book in an effort to find something simple enough to draw. Having finally decided on a symbol, Lina knelt on the ground and placed the book in front of her, using it as a guide as she traced the image on the ground with her finger. "See look, one of the drawings in the book has a circle here, and then two lines and some zigzags and finally—"

"Wait Lina don't finish it!" Ein quickly called out, causing the archer to stop what she was doing, a frightened look on her face. Almost instantly the angel felt guilty, letting out a sigh before his features softened to a reassuring smile. Truth be told, if she had actually managed to finish that thing, then there was the slightest chance that none of them would be making the trip back home. "Sorry… it's just, what you're drawing is very dangerous."

"Huh? Lina doesn't get it…"

"It's one of the forbidden symbols of summoning," Issirudor tried to explain, unable to help but let out a sigh of relief himself. So she really could read from the book… granted, it took a person with considerable magical energy to activate these kinds of spells, but seeing as how Lina was able to see what none of them could… "Used with others just like it, a person could summon a very specific type of spirit or guardian… but used alone, the symbol acts as a beacon—which means it has the ability to attract all spirits nearby, demons included."

"Oooh…" The little archer replied, nodding and wiping away the unfinished symbol as she slowly came to a very important conclusion: "Lina's terrified of drawing now."

-----

A/N: Hey guys! It's been a while, but at least it didn't take me as long this time around. College starts in approximately two days, which means I'll have even less time to work on this, but as always, I'll find a way to write the next chapter, which will (if I stick to my original idea for it) answer all the questions about the book, and perhaps finally give the heroes of Riviera a bit of direction in the form of a strange old man.

Also, if you guys are interested in seeing some (official xD) art I made for this fic, the links are all in my profile page. I'm actually at a loss on whether or not I should draw Riviera characters the way they're originally drawn, or go with something a bit closer to my world (the third link). Either way, when I feel like it I'll draw more random pieces and place the links on my profile page… in fact you guys could even suggest who or what I draw next.

Anyway, that's it for now… thanks for stopping by, and as always:

Happy Reading!


	9. Moment's revelation

"Fia!"

"Lina, thank goodness you're okay…!" The green-haired girl opened her arms, taking in the little sprite as her heart finally allowed itself a sigh of relief. She had desperately wanted to go with them, but she was sorely needed by Claude and Soala in the magic guild due to the alarming state of the old man Serene had brought to their village. In fact she had done everything she possibly could to counteract the strange, potent poison inside him by way of purification, yet there was still a very real chance that he could die. Currently, Soala was dressing his wounds and allowed her to take a little break, after which, she needed to help Claude create an elixir after he collected the ingredients, which was no easy task. "And the others?"

"Izzy's hurt pretty bad," Lina replied, a tinge of sadness in her voice… strangely enough, her cheeks were suddenly invaded by the slightest blush as she remembered the angel's attempt to save her from the familiar's flying tooth… that being said, she was infinitely grateful that Ein had arrived just in time to help them both. It certainly shed some new light on how she viewed Issirudor… of course, that didn't mean she understood. "I think he'll be okay though, Cierra said she'd bring him to our house so she can treat him while you're busy with that man. Oh, and Serene's scythe broke, so she went to Chappi's to get it fixed…"

"What about Ein…?" It made her feel strangely uncomfortable to single him out, but she needed to know if he was all right.

"He should be here any second," Lina broke the embrace and looked back, sighing as she realized that he still wasn't there. They'd both gone to the guild, but as always, the grim angel was being a slowpoke again. In fact, that seemed to be everybody's problem these days… walking when they could be running. Returning her attention to Fia so she could complain about that very fact of life, Lina found herself unable to voice out a single word of protest, the look on her dear friend's face silencing the little archer. Why did she look so nervous? "You okay Fia?"

"Huh? Oh… yes," The sprite in question replied, silently scolding herself for getting so distracted. Fia didn't really expect Lina to understand much of what she was feeling… nor did she want her to. There were far more important things to worry about now… and yet, why was it so difficult to get Ein out of her head? As if on cue with her thoughts, the grim angel finally walked in, carrying what appeared to be a heavy old book—probably the same book the old man had been muttering about when she was working on removing the poison from his battered body. "Ein…"

"Fia," The grim angel smiled softly, instantly feeling as though he could drown in the emerald sea of her eyes. But just as he was about to speak, thoughts of their emotional kiss in the dark entered his mind and his eyes widened, a deep red coloring his cheeks. From what he could tell Fia was thinking the exact same thing as she looked away, completely flustered. Something had changed between them… and he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. "I… how's Vassago?"

"He might not make it… the poison inside him is very strong," The girl replied thoughtfully, looking the grim angel in the eyes—only to escape his gaze a second later. Why was it so difficult to look at him…? Suddenly, though there was truly no place the sprite would rather be than in Ein's arms, she whole-heartedly wished to be anywhere else. Insecurity had breached her otherwise unshakeable composure, and the green-haired girl felt completely tiny and unattractive in the grim angel's eyes. "…Is, that his book?"

"Yeah—I mean, maybe… I'm not sure," Ein sighed, feeling as though he was embarrassing himself in front of Fia. Scratching his head in slight frustration, the grim angel suddenly recalled the fact that since Lina was somehow able to see what was in the book, then Fia may be able to as well. "I'll need to speak with him to confirm it… say, Fia? Could you try to read from this—"

"Oh, Lina wants to show her something, let Lina do it!" The little sprite interrupted, holding her hands out in front of her as she gestured the grim angel for the book. Looking almost relieved, Ein quietly handed her the aforementioned object, and Lina wasted no time in flipping the pages, pausing as she came about the same leaf with the picture of the beautiful girl. Turning to the green-haired sprite, Lina looked at her expectantly, holding out the book so that she could view it for herself. "This girl's really pretty isn't she?"

"Uhm, Lina…" Fia began, her expression mimicking exactly how she felt about the picture… which was frightening, to say the least. A masked creature of sorts, covered by a strange purple aura; it had no body, but it did have what looked to be a heart, captured in the jaws of a reptilian creature which was somehow connected to the mask. It was also riding on the incomplete skeleton of a horse which had a large spike on its fore-head, and the bones of what looked to be wings were spread across the page, a jeweled cup covered in an indiscernible substance floating in the middle of it all. True, the masked creature's long hair and delicate shape made it seem female, but this couldn't be what Lina was talking about. "Are you sure that's the right page?"

"Huh?" The little archer examined the book again, finding the same beautiful girl covered in exotic wild flowers and holding a jeweled cup. She had pale indigo eyes, and was smiling straight back at the sprite. "Of course Lina's sure! Don't tell me you can't see the little girl too…"

"Oh I see _something_… but it's not a pretty young girl," Fia replied, now more than a little confused. How was it possible that what she could see was different in Lina's eyes? It didn't seem like she was playing tricks either, Lina was convinced that the picture was a little girl. So that could mean that this was the book's doing… "In fact, quite far from it."

"Lina doesn't get this at all," The little sprite huffed, finding herself looking at the picture yet again; double, and even triple-checking to be absolutely certain. "But it _is_ a little girl…"

"This is getting stranger and stranger," Ein shook his head, unable to think of any kind of answer regarding pretty much any question that had stemmed from the book. At first Lina could see its contents, and now Fia could as well… but if they both saw different things from it then—which one could see what was truly written? "Fia, can you read what's written on the book?"

"Hm," The green-haired sprite supported Lina as both held onto the aged book, her expression soon shifting to one of complete curiosity. Many of the symbols used were completely unfamiliar, but there were certain words she could make out, particularly the letters beside the awful picture. "I remember these symbols from one of grandfather's lectures… bell… sorry, I can barely read a single word… bell—"

"Beleth. Thine wayward sister."

The three quickly turned their attention to the source of the voice, finding the bearded old man standing albeit shakily a few feet away, his clothes still stained crimson with blood. Soala appeared from the magic guild's inner hall and stopped beside him not long after, a concerned look on her face as she supported the old man.

"He's refusing anymore treatment," Soala said worriedly to the three, as he had stopped her from completely dressing his wounds. "Just please drink the elixir when Claude comes back with the ingredients…"

"Thou hast done all you can," The old man replied to the witch in training, caught off guard by her concern. He didn't need eyes to see that this sprite had a big heart… but as much as he wished it wasn't so, the poison simply would not be destroyed. Its corrosive effect had slowed considerably due to the Elendians' efforts, but despite everything, he knew that this poison would be the death of him—and that there was no escaping it. "I thank thee for everything… but the poison wilt taketh my life all the same."

A sad silence came upon the magic guild's main room as his words sunk onto the four. It was true that they had only known him for a little while, but inevitable death was never anything to be happy about.

"Vassago… were you the one that broke Elendia's barrier?" Ein finally asked the question that plagued the back of his mind. At first he had given him the benefit of the doubt when an exasperated Serene brought him to Elendia, but even then he had felt it; the dark, destructive energy that seemed to course through every fiber of his body. And after fighting his familiar, Ein knew that this man was a very possible threat to the safety of Elendia.

"I am."

"Are you a demon?"

"Aye."

Though the answers didn't come as too much of a surprise to Fia and Soala, Lina slowly took a step back, suddenly weary of the old man. Truth be told she had never made friends with a demon before… Serene didn't count, she just had those wings. Besides, the arc would tan her hide if she ever called her that.

"Then why did Izzy and Serene choose to save you?" The grim angel asked yet another question, more than ready to use Einherjar again despite almost exceeding his limits. Vassago's answer would ultimately determine whether or not he would be allowed to stay in Elendia any longer.

"The angel doth choseth to find me and save the book, because it is the last, best hope to repel what is to come," Vassago said solemnly, completely certain that the goddess of youth had a hand in his rescue and the book's safe return. There was no question about it, the cogwheels of time were turning, and though Riviera was fortunate to have the book in the hands of the Elendians, there was still a struggle ahead from which there would be almost no chance of survival—and the book was their only means of fighting back. "Those who once ruled over this land seeketh its resurrection. The catalysts of the great Ragnarok are finally awakening."

"But… weren't the Accursed destroyed?" Fia said in a hushed tone, now unsure of whether or not that was really true. "Grandfather should really hear this…"

"Ah, indeed. The Accursed have all but perished," The bearded man replied, nodding. He didn't want to have to frighten such a pure soul—especially one that had gone through so much already, but they needed to know who Utgard's rulers truly were if they were to have any chance of surviving at all. "The combined malevolence of the land would eventually createth and corrupt those black-hearted creatures, only to be sealed in the final days of the Ragnarok… but they had no hand in the war itself. The Accursed were sealed by the spirits of the Æsir underground in order to protect the young race of magical beings which would later be known as the sprites. Hector was a fool, but nevertheless, the Retribution would have actually weakened the catalysts considerably."

"What? Are you trying to say that Hector knew of these so-called catalysts? That he was trying to stop them?" The grim angel said, visibly shaken by the demon's words.

"No. Like all of the other magi in this day and age, Hector knew next to nothing of the greater demons, only that they were not the Accursed. He planned to activate Retribution for completely selfish reasons," Vassago's forehead wrinkled as his expression became grave. "Suffice it to say that the Æsir were heavenly creatures with near limitless strength, as well as unimaginable wisdom… and that nearly half of them were slain early in the war by the rulers of Utgard… my brothers and sisters."

"…But, that can't be! How can Asgard have almost no record of their—your existence? If the greater demons were so dangerous, why wasn't there anything written about your kind in Asgard's libraries?" Ein said almost incredulously, hoping that this was all some kind of sick joke. It was obvious that Vassago was referring to himself as a greater demon as well, and that fact made the grim angel all the more uncomfortable. He had also wanted to ask if he had any part in the war, but there were far more important questions that needed to be answered.

"There is only one true record of Ragnarok's events in existence and of thy kind," The old man replied, pointing a shaky finger to the book Lina and Fia held in their hands. "But I will speak more of this when ye have arranged council with all who intend to saveth Riviera and Asgard from the catalysts. Until then—hm…?"

"…What's wrong?" Fia answered seconds later, having absorbed most of Vassago and Ein's conversation—and understandably finding it all very, very difficult to swallow. It seemed so unbelievable, yet at the same time, she neither felt nor suspected any trace of deception in the demon's voice. But whether that would change still remained to be seen.

"Thine familiar… it lives," The old man stated, more fascinated and curious than alarmed. "It is in Elendia."

"What?" The grim angel stifled a gasp, mental pictures of their peaceful village being attacked by a giant blood-crazed alligator entering his mind as Einherjar instantly pulsed to life in his right hand. Fighting the overpowering urge to dash out of the magic guild, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the old man. "Where in Elendia Vassago???"

"I understand your concern, but it hath already reverted to its original, powerless form," The old man in question turned his head, trying to pinpoint the faint source of energy. "Hm… and to survive it seems to have merged with an object of sorts…"

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Eight – "Moment's revelation."**

"How are you feeling? I hope you aren't in too much pain…" Cierra said worriedly as they waited for Serene outside the hobbit smithy's workshop. She had let the angel sit on Gateau as he was unable to place any more weight on his legs, and to be perfectly honest she wanted Fia to have a look at him right away. With her powers of restoration she would be able to provide instantaneous relief for some of his injuries… all the scarlet witch could rely on was some old fashioned treatment and half-baked remedies.

"Much better, thanks to you," Issirudor replied sheepishly, trying his best to endure the increasing pain that radiated from his body, particularly his left foot. It wasn't so much painful as it was uncomfortable—he couldn't seem to find a particular position where his foot felt even a hint of ease, the throbbing pain more annoying than agonizing… which was exactly why it was so difficult to tolerate. "Though my feet are killing me…"

"The injuries are still fresh, so it's understandable… I've got some herbal oils that just might do the trick, at least until Fia—"

Cierra was suddenly interrupted by the sound of wood and metal crashing inside the workshop, gaining the undivided attention of the two as they didn't really have to strain themselves to hear what was going on.

"Chappi, what did you do?!"

"Don't look at me, I barely touched it! Is that normal???"

"_Normal?_ Chappi, my scythe grew _legs_—it's coming this way!"

"Hey! Whatever you are get away from there, I haven't finished heating that!"

"C-Chappi!!! Save me!"

"Whaddaya want me to do?!"

"Hit it with your hammer, anything—eeek!!!"

"Oh my…" The scarlet witch muttered as another loud crash echoed in the workshop, not really knowing how to react. Should she try and help them? Yes, that was probably the right thing to do at the moment… but she couldn't seem to bring herself to. Looking at Issirudor, who sported the same confused expression, the two stared blankly at Chappi's workshop, which was now silent as a tomb.

"Maybe… we should go help?" The angel said finally, growing more and more concerned with each passing second. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but from what he'd heard, it couldn't have been anything good… nor could it have made any less sense.

Cierra nodded in reply, but before they could do anything a third crash erupted in the workshop, the hysterical voices which followed paralyzing the two yet again.

"N-not my Tetyth palace gold plated greaves—those aren't easy to come by!!!"

"Quit whining and catch it will ya?!"

"Why don't _you_ help then—"

"Watch out it's right in front of you!"

"Gaaah!"

A fourth and final crash ensued, followed by a dull thud and a small yelp as Serene's scythe quite literally ran out of the workshop, the broken weapon supported by four small scaly legs. It dragged the broken piece of the scythe like a tail as it walked erratically in zigzags for a few seconds, before abruptly stopping and facing Issirudor. It remained on that position for no more than a second before seemingly heading straight for the curious angel; a clearly agitated arc bursting out of the workshop not long after, Chappi's giant hammer in hand.

Issirudor looked on as a faint light enveloped the weapon, the scythe's shape suddenly becoming smaller and smaller as it scurried over to where he was, eventually turning into the same alligator they had fought in Elendia's forests—only this time it was no smaller than a baby sprite. Clearly frightened of the arc, it jumped on Cierra's broom, its agile legs quickly bringing it on top of the angel's shoulders, letting out a tiny growl as Serene stalked the little alligator with a vengeance.

_Whelp—I mean, angel, help me! She's crazy!_

Issirudor's eyes widened as the voice of the familiar entered his mind once again. It was strange; he could feel no trace of the dark, inconsolable evil that all but consumed the giant alligator. It was almost as though the familiar was an entirely different being altogether. But it called him whelp, so that probably wasn't true…

"Give me back my scythe!"

"Now Serene, calm down…" Cierra began, forced to defuse the situation. It was true that the little alligator was possibly the same familiar they had fought, but it felt completely harmless… besides, it was kind of cute. "Maybe Chappi can make you another scythe—"

"That weapon was passed down in my family for generations Cierra, I don't want another one…!" The arc said exasperatedly, silencing the scarlet witch as Serene looked back at Issirudor and the little alligator, her eyes already moist with unborn tears. "Izzy, please… make it give my scythe back…"

Serene's pleading eyes bore into the angel like his best friend's spear, his voice instantly dying in his throat. In reply Issirudor simply looked at the familiar, his normally calm and gentle face now stern and commanding… and the little reptile growled in defeat.

_I cannot ssseparate from the scythe. But, I can resume its form…_

Reacting with surprising obedience, the alligator dropped onto the angel's lap, blanketed again by light as it seamlessly morphed back into the giant weapon. No longer broken in two, the strange light disappeared, exhibiting a scythe which—although looked exactly like the arc's weapon, seemed unused and completely new.

Letting out a doubtful sigh, the arc stared at the scythe, contemplating whether it was safe to touch that… that _thing _or not_._ Before she could come to a decision however, Issirudor offered her the weapon, an apologetic look in his face. Knowing full well she couldn't say no to something like that, Serene dropped Chappi's hammer and graciously took the weapon from his hands, all the while avoiding eye contact and fighting off a creeping blush. _Idiot, why are you looking at me like that? It's not like this is your fault…_ "…It'll have to do I guess… Izzy, we should get you to the house now—"

_How long do I have to ssstay like this?_

The voice echoing in his head once again, Issirudor was about to reply when he noticed Serene squirming and making a strange face. "What's wrong?"

"It… it talked to you didn't it?" The arc replied, quickly regaining her composure. She didn't know how she knew, but it was too strange a sensation to put into words. A strong chill up her spine, like a strange current ripping right through her… she was getting the impression that it was trying to talk to Issirudor, coupled with the fact that it easily obeyed the angel with a single look; that had to be the case.

"Yeah… you can hear it speak too?"

"Not really…" Serene stated, wondering what exactly it had told Issirudor, but chalking it up as none of her business. It wasn't like she wanted to hear what it had to say anyway—it may look and seem completely harmless now, but it still tried to kill them. The only reason she hadn't decided to bash its head in with the hammer was because Cierra and Issirudor seemed so relaxed with it. "But I'd really appreciate it if it didn't talk when I'm holding it tho—"

_Angel, answer my quessstion…_

"—ouuugh… ngh… I'll never get used to that…"

"As long as Serene needs you—and please stop talking for now," The angel commanded the familiar, a sheepish look on his face as the shuddering arc nodded her head in thanks. Off-handedly, he pondered about what Serene had felt whenever it spoke, but judging by how embarrassed she looked, decided it wasn't really proper to ask. All things considered, he wasn't sure why the familiar seemed to be obeying him, but he sensed no animosity whatsoever. "Sorry, but can we keep going? The pain's getting worse…"

"Oh, of course… Gateau?" The witch turned to her broom, which in turn started to move once again, with herself and the arc following suit. It wasn't long after that when a fairy suddenly flew right past them, before stopping in its tracks and quickly darting back to where they were, her face red with frustration. Cierra instantly recognized her as the diligent fairy from the magic guild. "NaNa, is something the matter?"

"Have any of you seen Ein's cat???"

"Rose? I haven't seen her since… well, since yesterday morning," Cierra replied, not really wanting to disclose the fact that she burned the parchment the black cat had been writing on. Not that it would really make a difference, but she would much rather those kinds of little accidents not circle around… she had quite the reputation for being clumsy enough already. "Why do you ask?"

"Because she's taken more stuff from the magic guild's storage while I was busy sorting books, and this time it was a set of Soala's favorite pelga feathers!" The fairy stated, utterly convinced that Ein's cat was guilty of high treason. Granted, she didn't see the cat commit this great crime as she had been so insufferably busy, but there was only one devious feline capable of evading her professional surveillance… and she hated having to admit that to herself whenever that four-legged thief got its way. "Not to mention more of the parchment! The stuff doesn't grow on trees you kn—oh wait… they do. But the feathers don't…!"

"Relax NaNa, she probably just needed writing material for that book of hers," Serene shrugged, wondering why a couple of pelga feathers and some parchment could possibly be so important. Truth be told she wondered just how exactly a winged cat would be able to read and write, but then Rose had already proven just how clever she could be through the battles they've been through. Besides, just like Ein, she came from Asgard, so these were questions best left unanswered. "Anyway, I haven't seen her."

"Ein's cat is writing a book?" Issirudor asked, more fascinated than he was confused. The cat they called Rose was most likely a familiar of Ein's… that made sense because the grim angel would need some form of guide in Riviera. At the moment however he was more interested in the book. "What kind?"

"Ein says Gatea—I mean, Rose is writing a memoir," Cierra answered, catching herself before she called Rose by the name she had given the cat when they had first met. Gateau was a cute name, but since Ein already had a name for her, she figured she may as well give the name to her flying broom instead. Back to the topic at hand, she was actually quite interested with Rose's progress in writing the book; often reading as the cat wrote… which lead to the unfortunate little incident that probably started all of this. "It's a recount on the events which transpired in Riviera during the battle with the Accursed, from her perspective."

"Really? Wow," The angel muttered, truly impressed. He knew that if they had the time and if he asked, then any of them would probably be happy to tell him about what had happened against the Accursed and how they had managed to even survive… but a book regarding these events from the point of view of Ein's cat? The more he thought about it the more he wanted to read Rose's finished memoir. "Did Ein say anything about when she'd finish it?"

"I'm afraid not," The witch replied sheepishly, understanding exactly how Izzy felt. In fact she had already asked the grim angel if Rose had some kind of deadline for her book, but he didn't really know either. Perhaps the only one that wasn't too enthusiastic about its release was Serene, and even she had nothing bad to say about it. 'Books are boring,' the arc had told her, 'but a record of somethin' this important has gotta prove useful for somebody.' "From what I've been able to read however, it's still a long way off."

"Oh? That's too bad," Issirudor said, more to himself than anybody. "Still, it'll be something to look forward—"

"Heeey, you guys are getting sidetracked here!" The fairy whined, a little less furious than she had been moments before but still quite unnerved. She couldn't afford to waste too much of her time speaking to them, she still had a lot of chores to do within the walls of the guild. In fact now that she thought about it, she couldn't seem to remember a time when she wasn't busy—and speaking of busy, she needed to start searching for Rose if she intended to finish her daily duties before sundown… "Need I remind you that she's taken something that doesn't belong to her? Because of that cat I'm going to have to double-check and update the inventory all over again, whether I catch her or not…"

"I'm really sorry to hear that NaNa," Cierra apologized, knowing full well that this was at least partly her fault. It was true that the Elendians and perhaps all of Riviera would benefit from Rose's book, and that the fairy was a bit over-protective of the guild's stored items… but at the same time she understood how inconvenient it would be to recheck the whole stock because of the loss. "But none of us have seen Rose… she's probably hiding somewhere, writing."

"Humph, well, we'll see how long she can stay hidden when I'm on her tail," The fairy let out a mischievous little grin, ready to resume her search. Elendia was a big place, but she knew it like the back of her hand, and no cat was going to best this fairy in a game of hide and seek. "Bye then!"

"See you," The witch waved as the fairy flew off to the direction of Elendia's groves. Returning her attention to the angel and the arc, the latter letting off another shrug and casually shouldering her scythe, she was about to will Gateau to move once more when she noticed Ein jogging towards them, a look of relief plastered on his face.

"Thank goodness you three are okay," The grim angel panted, joining them as he came to a stop. The old demon had already told him that his familiar was perfectly harmless now, but he needed to be sure everybody was safe. "Vassago said his familiar survived and followed us to Elendia… noticed anything funny since we got here?"

"You bet," Serene said plainly as she took hold of her scythe with both hands and quickly brought the weapon down in a vertical slash, slightly imbedding it onto the hard soil. Letting go of the scythe, Serene looked at Issirudor and nodded. "Show'im, Izzy."

"Okay," The angel nodded back, placing his attention on the scythe. He wasn't sure if it was going to obey him now, but since it seemed to do everything he told it to, he might as well give it another shot. "You can revert back to your form now… oh, you can speak too if you like."

And no sooner than that did the same strange light envelope the weapon as it grew four scaly legs and became smaller and smaller, the grim angel staring in awe as the large scythe morphed into a baby alligator—its snout seemingly stuck on the ground just as the weapon's blade was. For a few seconds it struggled to get out of that position, but its forelegs were far too short, unable to even touch the ground as it comically remained upside down, earning a small giggle from the arc.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see what would happen," The arc said, the apology being half-hearted at best. Though her dislike for the familiar was obvious, it didn't mean she was just going to leave it stuck like that—in fact she was about to help it back onto its feet when the grim angel beat her to it.

"Up we go," Ein held the alligator by its waist and lifted, effortlessly plucking the familiar out of the ground. The grim angel then brought it back down to its feet as it shook its head to remove some of the dirt that remained, staring thoughtfully at the once terribly destructive familiar. It certainly looked like the behemoth they had fought in the forests… just much, much tinier. He couldn't find it in him to worry as the little alligator jumped onto the broom and crawled up to Issirudor's shoulders, shaking its head once more. _So this is what Vassago was talking about… it must've merged with Serene's scythe to survive. _"It seems to really like you, Izzy."

"I guess…" The angel replied, not really knowing what else to say. Perhaps Vassago could explain, but for now he needed to get himself patched up. Doing his best to ignore the pain, he looked at the familiar to find it staring at Serene, its jaw half open. "I don't know why though."

_Angel…_

"Hm?"

_She isssn't very nice._

"Oh," Issirudor had to chuckle at that, knowing exactly who the familiar was referring to. "You certainly chose the wrong scythe to merge with. But you _did_ try to kill us, so can you blame her?"

_Now that you mention it… I sssuppose not._

"It's talking about me eh?" The arc smirked; not having to hear what it was saying to know that it disliked her. Well, that was fine by her… she most certainly disliked it back. It was a wonder why the angel even tolerated it, because of that stupid thing he was in a lot of pain. Well, if Izzy could learn to tolerate it then so could she… but if it ever tried to hurt him again, she'd make sure it never saw the light of day. "You're lucky Izzy's forgiven you… so listen good. If I catch you even _thinking_ about trying anything funny, I'm gonna roast you and have you for lunch, got that?"

"You had best heed her warning," Cierra warned as the familiar let out a little growl in reply, the same sheepish expression on her face. "So long as it's edible, she will probably eat it…"

"That's true," Ein chuckled, albeit surprised at how frightened the familiar looked. Was this even the same creature they had struggled against? Even more interesting was the fact that only Issirudor could hear it talk—much in the same way only he could hear what Rose was really saying… perhaps that little alligator found a new master in the form of the angel? Whether that was true or not however, the unsettling truths that Vassago had unearthed were far more serious, and he needed everyone to hear what the demon had to say as soon as possible. "Anyway, you were going to bring Izzy to Fia and Lina's house right? Vassago and the rest will also be heading there in a bit… I'll tell you guys everything I know on the way."

**Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Eight – Closure…**

"So let me get this straight," Serene said incredulously, all the trouble about her scythe and the familiar almost completely forgotten as they helped an equally tense Izzy get onto the grim angel's bed. To say that Ein's words had rocked them to the core was a complete understatement… especially because of what they've been through. The Accursed were no joke, Serene had fought with every fiber of her being just to survive, the countless brushes with death against those terrible monsters leaving her perhaps a little wiser and with far more experience… but this was too much. "You're telling us that the Accursed had nothing to do with this Ragnarok you guys keep mentioning, that the gods were actually killed by Riviera's old rulers, and that Vassago's one of them? What's more, he was the one that broke the barrier, his book's the only known record of the war, and now these _catalysts_ are plotting to take back what was theirs?"

"In a nutshell… yeah," Ein nodded, knowing how unbelievable this must seem to them. In fact even he still thought it was crazy. He didn't know why he was so eager to believe the old man, but there was no denying his quiet strength. The grim angel was fully convinced that if they had faced both Vassago and his familiar in prime condition, even with Fia and Ladie along, they probably wouldn't have survived. It was a fact that frightened him, but at the same time strengthened his resolve for what was to come. "He refused to say anymore until I've gathered everybody that needs to hear what he has to say… listen, I know how all of this sounds, but for Riviera's sake we have to at least consider it."

"Y'know, hardly anything ever surprises me anymore after what we've been through, but this really takes the cake. You mean to say that Asgard didn't have a single record of this war?"

"That can't be true, can it Ein?" The scarlet witch said softly, her voice no louder than a whisper. Aside from some of the wayward demons that still littered Riviera, she had thought that the worst was over… now they were being told that the worst they've been through wasn't even half as bad as what they might yet encounter. "Something so terrible… Asgard must have some record in preparation for this, right?"

"…I'm sorry, I don't know," The grim angel admitted, a downcast expression on his face. He truly didn't know about whether or not Asgard held any kind of record whatsoever. There were stories about the war and even certain documents, but they were all about the Accursed, and nothing more. True, the magi have hidden certain things from the rest of Asgard's inhabitants, but he believed Vassago when he said that not even they; proxies of the Æsir, knew of the greater demons' existence. It seemed as though the only person who was absorbing the information well was Issirudor, who lay quietly on the bed as Cierra tended to his battered legs. "Believe me when I say that I'm every bit as surprised… and horrified. There has to be a reason why Asgard knows nothing about the catalysts. That being said I'm sure Vassago will shed some light on this when he arrives with Fia and the rest… but right now, we have no choice but to believe him."

A solemn silence crept through the house at his words, several seconds having passed by before the injured angel spoke.

"Is it… possible for you to return to Asgard? To warn them?" Issirudor suggested, unable to think of any real solution but that. True, it was crazy that Asgard would have no record of this, but as far as he knew, only the Accursed were mentioned in those stories. This went far beyond what he'd expected of Yduna's request… it still didn't make much sense, but he knew that this was what the goddess of youth had been referring to as Riviera's doom. However, that meant that there was something in the book that could help… but until Vassago explained himself, he could only really hope.

"Maybe, but the whole journey would take more than a week at best… it all depends on what Vassago has to say," Ein answered, weighing in as many possibilities as he could. "Until I'm sure that everyone will be safe for the time being, I can't leave… and I can't send Rose out on her own either, she won't be able to enter Asgard through Heaven's Gate without me."

"…Now I know I've never been to Asgard before, but how do you think they'll react to what you have to say? Remember, you got all this crazy information from an old demon of all things, and if they can't read from that book of his either, how do you expect them to believe you?" The arc said, trying her best to understand the situation. If they really didn't know about these old rulers or whatever they were, then they could just dismiss Ein's words as ramblings of a grim angel who had stayed with the sprites far too long, even if he did save Riviera from Hector and the Accursed. "I'm not trying to be a wet blanket or anything, but think about it…"

"That's a good point… the chance of convincing the magi of what's to come is incredibly slim," Ein nodded, acknowledging Serene's incredible foresight. It never ceased to amaze him, how much wisdom the arc possessed despite her boyish, impulsive personality. "Like I said, everything depends on what Vassago has to say… I just hope that it's not all bad news. If he wants a meeting with us, then that can only mean he has some sort of plan… and if there's anything I can use, anything at all, then perhaps it'll help convince Asgard of the greater demons' existence… at least, before it's too late."

"Hm, makes sense… and at least we won't have to wait long to hear the old man's story," The arc said, her sensitive ears picking up multiple pairs of footsteps from outside the Elendian home. It seemed as though the familiar had sensed Vassago's presence as well, as it jumped off of Issirudor's lap and quickly darted underneath the bed, causing the scarlet witch to lose her balance for a split second. "They're all here."

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A/N: Hey guys. More than a month's passed since the last chapter… time sure does fly xD. Anyway, this took a bit longer than last time because of the unfortunate mix of College, preliminary exams and my birthday, which was on the 14th. There were times when I'd not touched this story for a whole week, and for that I apologize. Oh, sorry about the semi-cliffhanger as well, but I love doing that xD.

Anyways, things are getting quite complicated now ^^. Even I find myself getting a little lost sometimes as I lay out my plans for what's to happen… in any case, the next chapter is when the book and Riviera's situation is truly explained (with the latter probably only being explained to a certain extent to hide certain facts for later on in the story), so please bear with me, and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it ^^.

As always; Happy Reading everybody, and 'til we meet again in the next chapter!

P.S. – I updated/corrected it based on what I've read from Martin's review… all this time I've just been trying to recreate ye olde English (well, not really, just slightly) without any kind of reference whatsoever, and I have to admit, it's embarrassing… I want to create something that feels right in every way, but at the moment the only thing I've really learned is that ye is the plural form of you, etc… oh well, I hope these simple corrections satisfy you guys. As for myself, I need to learn some more xD.


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